Staying Safe in a Severe Thunderstorm

Staying Safe in a Severe Thunderstorm

 

 

 

What weather we had the other day!  Starting early in the afternoon  a super cell wall cloud went right over our house. It was so low, we could almost touch it!  The 14 hour thunderstorm was filled with lots of thunder and lightning plus wind and rain.  When the thunder clapped and the lightning came immediately after, you knew it was close.  Historically, thunder claps then you count the seconds until the lightning flashes, each second is a mile away.  There were so many clashes of thunder, some were cloud to ground and others were cloud to cloud. All throughout the night, the thunder rumbled and the sky lite up with lightning.  Needless to say, we didn’t get much sleep. Watching the lightening streak across the sky was quite a light show and I was able to snap a few pictures with my phone but hubby wouldn’t even let me open the door so I took them through the glass.  This got me thinking about staying safe in a severe thunderstorm so I put together a few reminders to follow.

 

 

The main thing to do for your safety is to stay indoors and away from windows and doors. (When I took my pictures it wasn’t half as bad as it was as the night went on)

Don’t use any electrical appliances and it’s a good idea to unplug TV’s, computers and cell phones from outlets.  It’s also good to have a few flashlights always on hand for when the power goes out, especially if the storm is during the night.

 

If you are in a vehicle and you don’t feel that it is safe to drive, pull of the road and put your four-way flashers on. If you can pull in a parking lot, that’s even better. Most thunderstorms progress rapidly so the wait time won’t be long but will be well worth it for your safety.

If on sports fields or on the golf course, head to the clubhouse immediately at the first sight of a thunderstorm.

 

 

There are times that thunderstorms can turn into a rotating super cell better known as a tornado. If this happens while you are in a building, put as many walls between you and the tornado as possible on the lowest level.  If at home, a small inner room closet or even a closet under a stairwell is a good place to ride the storm out.

Some thunderstorms also pop up quickly and you may be enjoying the day at the pool.  If that is the case, get out of the water immediately and don’t stand in any water or around metal furniture.  I remember when I was young, I was at church camp when a thunderstorm came out of the blue.  We all got out of the pool but one camper was struck as she was climbing up the pool ladder.  It was scary but thankfully she was okay. Trees can possible be struck by lightning so stay away from them also.

Don’t forget your pets, some get scared during thunderstorms, you will want to keep them close so you can help them get through the storm, just as you do with children. Make sure you little one has a favorite stuff toy or their special blanket so they have something for comfort.   Hopefully if you have a thunderstorm in your area, it won’t be one that lasts 14 hours like the one we had!

These are just a few common sense things to follow for staying safe in a severe thunderstorm.  Stay indoors until the storm is over until it’s safe to go outside.