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News
6/8/2009
Protect Yourself from Lightning
According to the National Weather Service, lightning kills an average of 62 people each year in the United States. In 2008, 27 people died from a “bolt out of the blue.” The majority of these fatalities occurred outside, but caution must be taken indoors as well.
Follow the tips below to keep you and your family safe from lightning this summer:
- Seek shelter immediately if you hear thunder; lightning is not far away.
- Find shelter in a substantial building or in a fully enclosed vehicle with the windows rolled up.
- Do not seek shelter under trees, picnic or rain structures, or in open-frame vehicles. Avoid objects like electric wires or metal fences.
- If you cannot find shelter in a building or closed-frame vehicle, keep your feet together and crouch on the ground using the “lightning crouch:” feet together, squat low, tuck head, and cover ears.
- If you are inside, do not plug or unplug anything during an electrical storm.
- Do not use corded telephones – phone use is the number one cause of indoor lightning injuries in the United States. Avoid contact with other electrical equipment like computers.
- Avoid contact with water, pipes, washers, or dryers.
- If a person is struck by lightning, call 911 and care for the victim immediately. You cannot be harmed by touching the victim after he or she has been struck by lightning.
