Thunder and lightning are rare in the Bay Area and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says nationwide the chance of being struck by lightning in any given year is 1 in 500,000. But when a thunderstorm arrives, follow these tips from the CDC to stay safe when lightning strikes.
The National Water Service says you can roughly calculate the distance between you and the lightning by following this rule of thumb. If you count the number of seconds between the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder, and then divide by 5, you get the distance in miles to lightning. So 5 seconds equals 1 mile, 15 seconds equals 3 miles. If you do not count seconds between the flash of lightning and thunder, then the lightning is very close.
If you are outside when the storm arrives:
To do
– Check the weather forecast before engaging in outdoor activities. If the forecast calls for deaths, postpone your trip or activity, or make sure there is adequate safe shelter easily available.
– Go inside as soon as possible. Remember the saying, “If thunder glasses, go inside.” Find a safe, closed shelter when you hear thunder. Safe shelters include homes, offices, shopping malls, and hard cars with the windows rolled up.
– Seek immediate shelter, even if they are caught in the open. If you are trapped in an open area, act quickly to find adequate shelter. The most important action is to remove yourself from danger. Crawling when you get low to the ground can reduce your chances of hitting, but does not distract you from danger.
If you are caught outside without a safe shelter nearby, the following actions can reduce your risk:
Away away with elevated areas such as hills, mountain ranges, or peaks.
– Never lie flat on the ground. Crawl down into a ball-like position with your head in your hands and your hands over your ears so that you are low with minimal contact with the ground.
– Never hide under an isolated tree.
– Never use a cliff as a rocky overhang for shelter.
Get away and away from ponds, lakes and other water bodies.
– Stay away from objects that conduct electricity (barbed wire fences, streamlines, windmills, etc.).
– When you sit in a group during a thunderstorm, you separate from each other. This will reduce the number of injuries as lightning strikes the ground.
The National Water Services says you should stay in a safe building or car for at least 30 minutes after hearing the last thunder. Although 30 minutes may seem like a long time, it is necessary to be safe.
Do not do
– Do not stay in open cars, structures and spaces
– During a thunderstorm, open cars such as convertibles, motorcycles, and golf carts are avoided. Be sure to avoid open structures such as porches, gazebos, baseball dugouts, and sports arenas. And stay away from open spaces such as golf courses, parks, playgrounds, ponds, lakes, swimming pools, and beaches.
– Do not stick to high structures
– DO NOT lie on concrete floor during thunder. Also avoid laying on concrete walls. Lightning can travel through any metal wire or beam in concrete walls or floors.
If you are indoors when the storm arrives:
Even though your home is a safe haven during a lightning storm, you can still be at risk. About one-third of lightning-strike injuries occur.
– Avoid water. Do not bathe, shower, wash dishes, or have any other contact with water during a thunderclap, because lightning can travel through the plastic of a building.
– Avoid electrical equipment. DO NOT use your computers, laptops, game systems, washers, dryers, heaters, or anything connected to an electrical outlet. Lightning can travel through electrical systems, radio and television reception systems, and any metal wire or beam in concrete walls or floors.
– Avoid phones. Cordless phones are NOT safe to use during a thunderstorm. DO NOT use them. However, it is safe to use cordless or mobile phones during a storm.
– prevent windows, doors, porches and concrete. DO NOT lie on concrete floor during a thunderstorm. Also avoid laying on concrete walls. Lightning can travel through any metal wire or beam in concrete walls or floor.
