Hello everyone! Because of all the thunderstorms we've been having lately I decided to republish my post from last year on lightning safety....
All's quiet now but two hours ago this is what it looked like from my front window....
....and from my front porch....
It turns out I should not have been out on my porch in the middle of a thunderstorm. My cat knew better. She was hiding behind the couch in the basement. Lightning safety is not something to be ignored. You don't have to be outdoors to be harmed. Did you know these precautions (from the NOAA site) should be taken:
- Stay off corded phones, computers and other electrical equipment that put you in direct contact with electricity.
- Avoid plumbing, including sinks, baths and faucets.
- Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches.
- Do not lie on concrete floors, and do not lean against concrete walls.
And if you are caught outside with no safe shelter anywhere nearby you should:
- Immediately get off elevated areas such as hills, mountain ridges or peaks
- Never lie flat on the ground
- Never shelter under an isolated tree
- Never use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter
- Immediately get out and away from ponds, lakes and other bodies of water
- Stay away from objects that conduct electricity (barbed wire fences, power lines, windmills, etc.)
Since 1982 there have been an average of 53 deaths per year from lightning, which may not seem like very many--except if it's you.
There are other precautions, too, that should be taken to protect your house and belongings which you can find on the NOAA site. Because we live on a 1,000-foot mountain the first owner of our house installed lightning rods. We added a whole-house surge protector. Be sure to check out the myths and facts link.
Lightning can be quite beautiful--if viewed from a safe distance. You can watch the National Geographic's program on the science of lightning and the effects of a strike here.
Stay safe...
Thanks for all the tips, Cathy. I was aware of all of these warnings, except the concrete one. I'm a little jealous of the rain you received, but not the hail. Hopefully none of your lovely plants were damaged. It's amazing how many people have little fear during a storm. My aunt was deathly afraid of storms. She used to make us all sit quietly in a circle in the living room during storms. Maybe a little overboard. We experienced quite a storm at Busch Gardens on Thursday--the boys were quite disappointed that the rides were shut down, but we were lucky they gave us a rain check for another day in the park. ♥
ReplyDeleteThose videos were from last summer. I'm only just replying to your comment this morning because I got off my computer right after posting your comment because the wind had suddenly picked up. Then the power blinked on and off so I never turned my computer back on because last week I did and my hard drive got damaged because I was using my computer when the power went off momentarily. It seems if you're using a program like iPhoto, it can damage your hard drive if the computer turns off suddenly! There wasn't any storm going on at the time, but we'd lost power for 5 hours the night before and many were still without power the next 2 days. The power going off and on was probably due to their working on the line. Last week a 12-year-old boy was killed by a falling tree at a day camp in our area when the counselor was herding everyone to safety when a storm suddenly came up. They're going to review their policy for outdoor activities now when the possibility of storms exists. Those thunderstorm cells can just pop up out of nowhere when the conditions are right. The fact that you can be struck by lightning even if the only thunder you've heard is miles away is what is disconcerting.
DeleteGreat advice, and thank you for sharing it! I was once lying in a bathtub full of water when a storm broke out of nowhere with lightening grounding just yards away in the courtyard. Trust me, I was out of that bath quicker than a flash of lightening, shaken, and feeling really peculiar all day. When I lived in Florida, I used to sit on a childs *metal* slide in the middle of the night watching the big thunderstorms rolling over Georgia ~ until someone pointed out to me what I was doing! My Great Grandmother would open all the doors and windows of her cottage during a storm ~ don't know why, but she did. I love storms, but treat them with the respect they deserve! Waving from Across The Pond!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about loving storms. They can be quite majestic. When I lived in the Midwest we were told to open one window when there was a tornado warning. It had something to do with relieving the pressure caused by a tornado. I don't know if that's still recommended now. I was reading our 100 Years Ago column last week and read where a woman sitting on her front porch with her family was struck on the top of the head by lightning and killed. Lightning is a strange and powerful force not to be toyed with.
DeleteCathy,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the safety tips. Some I did not know about. We have already had our hail storm before all the rains came the end of May. It's the most damage we have had. It wasn't so much the size of hail, it was the 60 MPH winds that was driving it! Not a big fan of hail! Hope your garden was not too impacted, I know you have been busy taking advantage of the nursery sales! Thanks for touching base with us. Take care.
Chris
We don't get the size hail that Texas is famous for. That hail was from last year and didn't last very long, so no damage was done. Our problem up here on our 1,000 foot mountain is the wind that breaks the tree branches and knocks down our trees. We've been fortunate that none have landed on the house or other structures.
DeleteThanks, Cathy. Good stuff here. My husband always shows me the house he was playing in in his small town when lightening went in one window and out the other. Guess they had their windows open! I do love a good storm but am also fearful of one that gets "bad." I've read there are more killed by lightening here in NC than the other states. I wonder what happens with living in a house with concrete floors--so many in our area do because there are no basements. Just slabs. I'm catching up on your blog, I left yours til last so I could take time and enjoy it; I know there is much here!
ReplyDeleteWe are in for another severe thunderstorm here in the next few hours! I think I'm being extra cautious because I just came back from the eye doctor because I've been having "lightning flashes" in my right eye! Thankfully, I don't have a detached retina--just getting older she said. But I'm still going to shut down my computer as soon as the storm rolls in. Take care!
DeleteAll good tips here, Cathy - thanks. I grew up on the southern shore of Lake Ontario - tthe lake was literally 15 feet away from my bedroom window in the back of the house - and we were promptly hustled out of the water whenever it looked like a thunderstorm was approaching. But I must have been in my 30s before I heard the ones about being on the phone or in the shower. I started taking my shower at bedtime then, because if there was a storm brewing in the morning, I'd be late for work, waiting for it to finish. But if there was a nighttime storm, I could safely wait to clean up in the morning. Now I've become so accustomed to my nighttime shower, getting into bed all clean and cozy, I find myself wishing for daytime storms all the time. Or early evening ones that blow over by bedtime. I do love hearing nighttime storms, the rumble [and sometimes crash] of thunder, the raindrops on glass, the wind and my windchimes whacking away in A natural. I'm going to check out the Nat'l Geographic program - they're always so well-done. Take care and talk to you soon. :>)
ReplyDeleteI enjoying hearing everyone's storm stories. I like the sound of rain in the night, too. My grandmother's house had a tin roof. That's the best sound in the rain.
DeleteGreat advice Cathy, and much of it I did not know. THank you! We have oodles of storms here which I like to watch from my porch, No more will I do that. I do love storms, as long as we are not driving in them. But they can really be frightening at times as our area is famous for falling trees during the rainy season. I had a dear doggy that would hide under the house whenever it rained and he wouldn't come out until the sun shone again. Poor boy was terrified of the thunder.
ReplyDeleteMy cat hides in the basement behind the couch. I think she's prepared for everything--even tornadoes!
DeleteHi Cathy, We have had thunderstorms over the weekend too. I always find it more frightening at night maybe as a child we were struck by lightening during the night and nearly had to evacuate the building. I have enjoyed catching up on your posts your holiday looks so lovely and your granddaughter is so cute. Sarah x
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sarah!
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