Avoid Dark Clouds on the Horizon: Lightning Safety Tips
Believe it or not, Summer is the peak season for lightning-related deaths and injuries. Actually, make sure you believe that: if you think you know more than Mother Nature, the results aren’t going to be good for you. There is enough energy in a typical flash of lightning to light a 100-watt fluorescent bulb for about a year. Except humans aren’t light bulbs, so the National Weather Service wants you to know that when thunder roars, go indoors!
That’s because no outdoor area is safe when you hear that boom nearby in the sky. Your first instinct might be to run towards that one tree over there. Don’t!!! Being underneath a tree is the second leading cause of lightning casualties. And stopping, dropping, and rolling isn’t too smart either. You could get hit with a deadly ground current when lying flat. Your best bet is to keep moving towards a safe, indoor shelter. If your only option is your car, make sure all the windows are up, or you could get struck down. If you can’t get indoors at all, at least try to avoid elevated areas, immediately get out and away from all bodies of water, and stay away from objects that conduct electricity, such as wire fences.
Once you’re safe inside during a thunderstorm, you’re safe inside, right? Nope. Lightning can travel through any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring or pretty much anything that conducts electricity. So stay off corded phones, computers, and other electrical equipment. Yes, you read that right: lightning can electrocute you while you’re ordering pizza in your living room. Water also conducts electricity, so avoid baths and faucets. Finally, it might be tempting to stand at the window to watch the storm, but lightning can come through cracks in the sides of windows and doors. That wouldn’t be a very pleasant surprise. Oh, and please don’t forget the dog. Dog houses are not safe shelters and dogs that are chained to trees or on metal runners are particularly vulnerable to lightning strikes.
Remember, if you’re outside in a thunderstorm, the only completely safe action is to get inside a safe building or vehicle. An even better idea is to not get caught outside in a thunderstorm at all. Pay attention to the weather. If the weatherman says there’s a chance of thunderstorms, don’t take the chance of getting struck by lightning – stay inside until the coast is clear.
A word on your Summer Safety!
Wang Solutions 