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FIRE SAFETY...

Lightning Facts

• An average of 300 lightning injuries are reported each year.

• Whether outside on land or water, lightning kills more American's than hurricanes, tornadoes and floods.

• If you hear thunder, you may be close enough to be hit by lightning, even if the sky is clear.  Lightning can easily travel 10 miles from a storm. 

• More than half of lightning deaths occur after the thunderstorm has passed or subsided.  After a storm has passed, the danger of lightning strikes remains for approximately 30 minutes.

• Source, Volunteer Firefighter's Magazine, August 2006

 

Outdoor Lightning Safety

• Postpone outdoor activities if thunderstorms are imminent.
  Move to a sturdy enclosed building.

• Get inside a hardtop vehicle and keep the windows rolled up. Avoid touching any metal.

• Stay away from tall trees. If there is no shelter crouch in the open, keeping twice as far away from a tree as it is tall.

• Avoid being the tallest object around. Get as low as you can but do not lie prone on the ground. Squat on the balls of your feet to have minimum contact with the ground. Place your hands over your ears and your head between your knees.

• Get below tree line if you are in the mountains and into a grove of SMALL trees.

• Toss metal golf clubs, fishing rods, tennis rackets, tools, walking sticks, backpacks with metal or any other metal objects away from you. You can be burned by them.

• Get out of the water. If caught in a boat, crouch down in the center of the boat away from metal hardware. Swimming, wading, snorkeling and scuba diving are NOT safe. Don't stand in puddles, even if wearing rubber boots.
  Move away from a group of people. Stay several yards away from each other.

• Don't share a bleacher bench or huddle in a group.

• Avoid open fields, high places, trees (especially isolated trees), water, unprotected gazebos or picnic shelters, baseball dugouts, communications towers, flag poles and light poles, metal or wood bleachers, metal fences, convertibles, golf carts, bicycles, and motorcycles.

 

Indoor Lightning Safety:

• Utility lines and metal pipes can conduct electricity.

• Do not use any electrical appliances (except those used for weather information) and unplug unnecessary ones.

• Turn off air conditioners and computers to protect them from power surges.
  Do not use a corded telephone except in an emergency.

• Do not bathe or shower during a thunderstorm.

• Avoid contact with anything that conducts electricity.

• Stay away from windows and doors.

• Avoid contact with concrete walls or floors which may contain metal reinforcing bars; carports or open garages; covered patios; washing your hands or doing dishes.

• No place is completely safe from lightning, but some places are safer than others. Although some victims are struck directly by the main lightning stroke, many victims are struck as the current moves in and along the ground.