12/26/2023 0 Comments Safest place to be in lightning storm![]() ![]() Sometimes the heart re-starts itself but sometimes it does not. Those who are killed by lightning usually suffer immediate cardiac arrest. Injuries and causes of death due to lightning If you are in a group that is caught outdoors in the open, have them spread out so that a lightning strike cannot disable everyone simultaneously. Lying down, although it makes you as low as possible, exposes your entire body to ground currents. If you are unable to crouch like that for as long as necessary, and that probably includes most of us, at least sit on your pad and other insulating materials rather than lie down. Google "lightning position" and you will see why it is also called the "lightning desperation position." In a tent or if caught outdoors in the open, you might try crouching in the lightning position with your heels touching, eyes closed and hands over your ears if possible (to prevent ruptured eardrums from a shock wave of thunder) and hope for the best. It may be a lot deeper than what meets the eye.Ībove all else, if you can do so safely, Homenuk says, "trying to be indoors during a thunderstorm is the best thing.Ground current can strike a person even if the lightning bolt itself does not. "It also creates a tremendous traffic hazard."Īnd if you notice flooding, do not try to drive through it because your car can get stuck, Homenuk warns. In fact, when there are strong winds, the winds can actually be stronger and more dangerous underneath those underpasses because they can funnel through with greater speed," he says. Homenuk commonly hears that being parked under an underpass during a severe storm poses a potential risk. "But if there's a store or another building that you can get to that's not your home, then that's also a good option." These locations make you less safe during a storm.Īdditionally, if you're unable to get home during a bad lightning storm, your car can offer you some safety, Am I standing near interior walls in my home, instead of the outer walls?īut if you get caught in the middle of a thunderstorm outside, make sure that you're not near water, standing near or under a tree or on tall objects, he adds.These are the safest places to be indoors and outĬonsider these criteria when deciding where to wait out a storm indoors, Homenuk says: "But still, generally if you can, you wait for the storm to pass instead of utilizing the water and the pipes that can be a pathway for that electricity to travel," he notes. Washing dishes may pose a lower risk than taking a bath or a shower because your whole body isn't submerged in water or standing directly under a metal showerhead as the pipes are running, says Homenuk. However, the agency still advises you to "avoid any contact with plumbing and running water during a lightning storm to reduce your risk of being struck." ![]() The CDC states that the risk of lightning traveling through your plumbing is lower for those with plastic pipes as opposed to metal pipes. "And obviously that would not be great if you were in the shower." "When lightning happens, it generally travels on the path of least resistance, which is often going to take it into metal which can go through the pipes," he says. Showering, bathing or washing dishes can all pose a risk if lightning is occurring near your home. computers, laptops, game systems, washers, dryers or stoves)Īs a starting point, Homenuk warns against being near or in water during a thunderstorm. Touching electronic equipment connected to an electrical outlet (i.e.Standing near windows, doors, porches and concrete.Homenuk, the National Weather Service and the CDC all recommend avoiding doing these activities at home during a lightning storm: ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |