Safety measures for lighting

Safety precautions outdoors

If the weather forecast calls for thunderstorms, postpone your trip or activity.

Remember: When thunder roars, go indoors. Find a safe, enclosed shelter.

Don't forget the 30-30 rule. After you see lightning, start counting to 30. If you hear thunder before you reach 30, go indoors. Suspend activities for at least 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder.

If no shelter is available, crouch low, with as little of your body touching the ground as possible. Lightning causes electric currents along the top of the ground that can be deadly over 100 feet away.

Stay away from concrete floors or walls. Lightning can travel through any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring. Although you should move into a non-concrete structure if possible, being indoors does not automatically protect you from lightning. In fact, about one-third of lightning-strike injuries occur indoors.

Safety precautions indoors

Avoid water during a thunderstorm. Lightning can travel through plumbing.

Avoid electronic equipment of all types. Lightning can travel through electrical systems and radio and television reception systems.

Avoid corded phones. However, cordless or cellular phones are safe to use during a storm.

Avoid concrete floors and walls.