Lightning Safety

5/3/2022 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO of Limestone & Lawrence Counties/Decatur TODAY for help with any Storm Damages to your home or commercial property! (256) 233-4033

During the lightning season, you should always be prepared for changing conditions. Everyone is at risk if you have thunder and lightning where you live. You should know what to do if you get caught in a lightning storm.

Lightning and what you need to know:

• NO PLACE outside is safe when thunderstorms are in the area.
• If you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to strike you.
• When you hear thunder, move to a safe shelter. Inside a building is best. If a building is not available, a metal topped vehicle with the windows rolled up is a good alternative.
• Stay in the shelter for at least 30 minutes after you hear the last roll of thunder.

 Indoor Lightning Safety:

• 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 doors and windows.
• Stay off of porches and balconies.
• Don’t lie on concrete floors, and don’t lean against concrete walls.

Last Resort Outdoor Risk Reduction Tips:

If you are in a situation where there is no shelter nearby, following these actions will help reduce your risk.

• Immediately get off of a hill, mountain ridges, peaks, or anything that is elevated.
• Never lie flat on the ground.
• Never shelter under a tree.
• Never use a cliff or overhang for shelter.
• Immediately get out of any bodies of water, including ponds, lakes, or ocean.
• Stay away from objects that conduct electricity such as barbed wire fences, power lines, windmills, etc.

 Lightning is very beautiful, but also very dangerous. A typical lightning strike yields about 300 million Volts and about 30,000 Amps.  A household current is 120 Volts and 15 Amps. There is enough energy in a typical flash to light up a 100-wall incandescent light bulb for about three months. Taking the appropriate safety precautions against lightning can help keep you and your family safe.

Call SERVPRO of Limestone & Lawrence Counties/Decatur TODAY for help with any Storm Damages to your home or commercial property! (256) 233-4033