Do’s and Don’ts – Lightning and Thunderstorm

Lightning and Thunderstorm

DO’ s

• If the people are in outdoors, they have to need shelter from lightning. Buildings are best for shelter, but if no buildings are available, you can find protection in a cave, ditch, car, hard top  automobile or a canyon. Trees are not good cover, since tall trees attract lightning.
• If you can’t find any shelter, avoid the tallest object in the area. If only isolated trees are nearby, your best protection is to crouch in the open.
• If you hear thunder, don’t go outside unless absolutely necessary. Remember, by counting the seconds between the lightning flash and the thunder and dividing by 3, you can estimate your distance from the strike (in km).
• Stay away from anything that could conduct electricity such as radios, toasters, hairdryers and Unplug any electronic equipments before the thunderstorm arrives. This may also   include fireplaces, radiators, stoves metal pipes, sinks, and phones.
• Stay away from window and doors and stay off verandas.
• Avoid contact with plumbing and metal pipes. Do not wash your hands, do not take a shower, do not wash dishes and do not wash clothes
• Stay away from TV, plumbing, sinks, tubs, radiators and stoves.
• Get out of the water. This includes getting off small boats on the water, away from pools, lakes and other water bodies.
• When you feel electric charge – if your hair stands up or your skin starts to tingle, lightning may be about be strike you. Drop to the ground immediately.
• Lightning is also a real threat to livestock. Livestock frequently gathers under trees during a thunderstorm, and a single strike can kill many animals. Moving animals into a   shelter,  preferably an enclosed one that is equipped with a lightning protection system can reduce the risk to livestock.

Burying utility lines, including electric and telephone lines can also reduce the likelihood of damage from lightning strikes. Traditional suspended lines are much more likely to be struck and carry lightning charge directly into a building, resulting in damage to electrical appliances and structural damage to the building.