Launch of LALENet: A Latin American Network for Lightning Safety Education and Protection

Villamil D.E.; López L.A.; Melgarejo Ó.P.; Galván A.D.; Iñiguez S.O. · ICLP 2024 - 37th International Conference on Lightning Protection (2024)

Resumen

Like in many countries, lightning causes deaths and injuries across Latin American countries, devastating families, communities, livestock, utility infrastructure, communication systems and remote areas. In order to decrease death, injuries and property damage from lightning, a group of professionals from 5 of the 15 Latin American countries: Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela, most of them former members of the “Lista Eléctrica de Salvador Martinez” - Google Group came together to established the "Latin American Lightning and Education Network" (LALENet), founded as an NGO on August the 16th of 2022 and incorporated in the USA and awarded nonprofit 501c3 tax status in the USA, a necessity for most grant applications often preferred by granting agencies. The main goals of LALENet are the education in protection of injuries of lightning, assisting governments and protecting the most vulnerable. This article is about the newly created team of professionals concerned about the high number of lightning victims in Latin American countries and show successful management for the protection of rural rustic homes.