How to stay safe from lightning

Lightning during thunderstorms are a frequent occurance. If you are caught in a thunderstorm, then face it, you do have a small risk of getting struck by lightning.  Although the chances are very slim, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

So, here’s some tips to stay safe from lightning, if you happen to caught by a lightning storm in an open area:

• Get to a low spot, preferably somewhere that water does not collect.
• Squat down and make yourself “small.”
• Hug your knees and tuck in your head between your legs. The head is the body part most often hit.
• Stay far from any tall or metallic objects (that stand a risk of being struck by lightning), such as trees, flag poles, hills, cars or fences. Except for cars. If you get to a car, go in and stay there.
• If your skin starts tingling and your hair stands on end, it may be a warning that lightning is going to strike you. So crouch down immediately when you get that feeling.
• If a thunderstorm is flashing in the distance, and you want to know (roughly) how many miles away it is from you, count the seconds between the lightning flash and the sound of thunder, and then divide it by 5. That’s because sound travels 5 times slower than light.

lightning