Do not underestimate the power of a lightning storm. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 2009 there were thirty four lightning fatalities in the United States. Out of the thirty four deaths eleven died playing outdoor sports, probably golf. Six were killed performing yard work such as mowing wet grass during the storms.

Mowing tips # 1 -

Do not cut your grass when a thunder storm is approaching, especially with an electric lawn mower. Your life is not worth the beauty of the front lawn. More exciting lightning storm facts below.

Mowing tips # 2 -

Yes, cutting the lawn in a lightning storm is dumb, but mowing wet grass in any situation is not a good idea. During a down pour, or even within half an hour after the shower ends would be the worst time for this outdoor chore.

Besides the point of getting soaking wet and perhaps catching a nice cold, your mowing effort would be fruitless. Stand back after you’re done and have a good look at your lawn, it will look like it has not been touched. The reason for this is like any other plant in the rain the leaves or in this case grass blades will hunch over, so the mowers blade pushes the grass over instead of cutting it.

For the most effective grass cutting you would want the grass blades fully erect. A nice sunny day when the grass blades are reaching with all their might towards the beaming sun rays.

Mowing wet grass causes other troublesome woes. Such as wet grass clumping and sticking to the mowers undercarriage and cutting blades. When the grass clumps get thick enough this will hinder the lawn cutting procedure by slowing down the blade rotation thus diminishing cutting ability. Plus with your mower working harder this will decrease the engines longevity, unless you use a push reel mower of course.

Now your lawn looks like a herd of cattle walked through with all these wet grass clumps every where. One of my wet mowing tips here would be to re-mow as soon as the clumps dry and call it mulch. If these grass clumps remain on the lawn for a week or more, the grass will be dead below them.

Another one of my wet mowing tips is to not skid your mower as you turn for your next row. The soil is moist so if your mower wheels skid in any side direction this will pull out your grass, roots and all. You would also create ruts.

If your lawn is eight inches high and no clear day in the forecast and just cannot get away from mowing wet grass, may I give you a few quick mowing tips.

Set your mower at a higher setting than normal, to reduce the clumping grass. Definitely do not use a grass catcher. Slowly mow a full row than back up cutting the next row only a third of the mowers width. Then forward on the third row, again cutting only a third of the mowers width. This reduces the constant task of dislodging the packed grass from the undercarriage every third row. You should be free from this task for hopefully six rows. Also by the reverse mowing action on every other row, you will not make ruts.

Lightning Facts.

• A person struck by lightning will not retain an electric charge.

• Lightning can strike same place twice.

• The spread of the charge after striking the ground is sixty feet.

• A cloud to the ground strike is 100 million to one billion volts.

• Around the earth there are one hundred lightning strikes per second.

• The temperature of a lightning bolt is 50,000* Fahrenheit.

• Thirty - thirty rule is when you see lightning then hear thunder within thirty seconds or less, take heed for the storm is within six miles.