How To Stay Safe From Lightning
MAYER, ARIZONA - JULY 21: Lightning strikes during a monsoon storm on July 21, 2022 near Mayer, Arizona. The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for eight counties in Arizona today including Yavapai county. Climate change is making heat waves more frequent and hotter with large swathes of the U.S. currently under excessive heat warnings.
There’s been a lot of news lately of people being struck by lightning. In fact, three people were killed by lightning near the White House last week. Now weather officials want the public to be on alert. Here’s what you need to know about staying safe.
- If you hear thunder, that means lightning is nearby and you should move inside a vehicle or building as quickly as possibly.
- The number one activity where people are hit by lightning is fishing, followed by being on a beach and camping.
- Other activities include yard work, cycling and social gatherings outside.
- Immediately get off elevated areas such as hills, mountain ridges, or peaks.
- Never lie flat on the ground. Crouch down in a ball-like position with your head tucked and hands over your ears so that you are down low with minimal contact with the ground.
- Never shelter under an isolated tree. If you are in a forest, shelter near lower trees.
- Never use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter.
- Immediately get out of and away from ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water.
- Stay away from objects that conduct electricity (such as barbed wire fences, power lines, or windmills).
- Source: Yahoo