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Safety
tips for Thunderstorms
What to do
when you see dark clouds and hear the rumble
of thunder
Where there’s thunder there’s lightening
(BTW - A lightning bolt can power your house
and a hundred others for a year) and it can
put a serious kink in your hike or ride.
Here are a few tips to avoid being hit.
·
Count the seconds from "flash" to "bang."
This tells you how close the storm is, and
if it's coming closer. It takes about 5
seconds for the sound of lightning to travel
a mile, so every 5 seconds between the flash
and the bang equals a mile in distance. If
you count 60 seconds, the strike hit 12
miles away. If you count 40 seconds after
the next strike, it's 8 miles.
·
Find a safe place. Lightning commonly
strikes before a storm so don't wait for the
rain to start. If you can get to a
substantial shelter, such as a building do
it.
·
Your vehicle is the next best place. If
you’re near camp and trailer, load the
horse, close up the trailer, and get in the
truck with the windows up. Keep your hands
off metal objects. If lightning strikes,
it'll travel around the metal shell of your
vehicle, and you'll be safe inside.
·
Caught in the open? Get away from high
ground and open fields. Go to a low-lying
area. Avoid dry stream beds that might flood
in a storm, and steer clear of water, tall
trees, and anything metal-wires, fences,
pipes, etc. Any of these can act as a
conduit for lightning strikes, so stay away
from them.
·
Make yourself small. Get at least 15 feet
away from other people or animals. Crouch
down with your feet together, contact the
ground as little as possible.
·
Stay put. Wait until the storm is long gone.
A good rule of thumb is to wait 30 minutes
after the last clap of thunder before
leaving your safety area.
Note: If someone is struck by lightning, use
CPR to restore their breathing and get
emergency help.
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