What not to do during a thunderstorm?

Lightning Safety Tips
  • Avoid water. Do NOT bathe, shower, wash dishes, or have any other contact with water during a thunderstorm because lightning can travel through a building's plumbing. ...
  • Don't touch electronic equipment. ...
  • Avoid windows, doors, porches, and concrete. ...
  • Don't use corded phones.


Do and don'ts during thunderstorm?

During a thunderstorm, avoid open vehicles such as convertibles, motorcycles, and golf carts. Be sure to avoid open structures such as porches, gazebos, baseball dugouts, and sports arenas. And stay away from open spaces such as golf courses, parks, playgrounds, ponds, lakes, swimming pools, and beaches.

What is the best thing to do during a thunderstorm?

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. Never use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter. Immediately get out of and away from ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water.


What are 5 things to do to stay safe during a thunderstorm?

Here are some tips to keep you safe and reduce your risk of being struck by lightning while indoors.
  • Avoid contact with water during a thunderstorm. ...
  • Avoid using electronic equipment of all types. ...
  • Avoid using corded phones. ...
  • Avoid concrete floors and walls. ...
  • Stay away from windows, skylights, and doors.


Can I flush the toilet during a thunderstorm?

No. Lightning can travel through plumbing. It is best to avoid all water during a thunderstorm.


What Can't Do During a Storm (Please, Never!)



What attracts lightning to a house?

Lightning is attracted to the ground and clouds. You may have been brought up to believe that what attracts lightning is holding or wearing metal, and this is actually false. The position of a storm relative to the location of where someone is determined where lightning will strike.

Should you turn off your TV during a thunderstorm?

Your tech and appliances aren't made to withstand that much electricity all at once coming through your wall socket and will essentially fry. While surges due to lightning are rare, you should at the very least unplug your high-ticket electronics, like your TV or gaming console.

Can lightning go through a window?

There is not an increased chance of getting hit by lightning if you are near a window. The reason you are supposed to stay away from windows is because the glass could shatter and send pieces flying in all directions. A lightning bolt would explode the glass window before it would travel through the glass.


What causes lightning to strike a person?

Most indoor lightning casualties and some outdoor casualties are due to conduction. Whether inside or outside, anyone in contact with anything connected to metal wires, plumbing, or metal surfaces that extend outside is at risk.

Can lightning strike inside a house?

Even though your home is a safe shelter during a lightning storm, you might still be at risk. About one-third of lightning-strike injuries occur indoors. Here are some tips to keep safe and reduce your risk of being struck by lightning while indoors. Avoid water.

Where does lightning strike the most?

Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela is the place on Earth that receives the most lightning strikes. Massive thunderstorms occur on 140-160 nights per year with an average of 28 lightning strikes per minute lasting up to 10 hours at a time. That's as many as 40,000 lightning strikes in one night!


Is a car the safest place to be during lightning?

NO! Like trees, houses, and people, anything outside is at risk of being struck by lightning when thunderstorms are in the area, including cars. The good news though is that the outer metal shell of hard-topped metal vehicles does provide protection to those inside a vehicle with the windows closed.

What to do in a thunderstorm in a house?

What to Do at Home During a Thunderstorm Warning
  • Draw blinds and shades over windows. ...
  • Unplug appliances. ...
  • Avoid taking a bath or shower, or running water for any other purpose. ...
  • Turn off the air conditioner.


What are the four danger signs when there is an approaching tornado?

Warning signs include:
  • Severe thunderstorms, with frequent thunder and lightning.
  • An extremely dark sky, sometimes highlighted by green or yellow clouds.
  • A rumbling sound or a whistling sound.
  • A funnel cloud at the rear base of a thundercloud, often behind a curtain of heavy rain or hail.


Is it safer to drive or walk in a thunderstorm?

Avoid driving in a thunderstorm

If you know a storm is coming, it is highly advisable to simply wait it out at your current location. If you finding yourself driving in a thunderstorm, the safest thing for you to do is to turn on your emergency brakes and pull onto the side of the road to wait it out.

Do umbrellas attract lightning?

John Farley. The answer: No. Lightning occurs when the difference in charge between the cloud and the ground becomes so great that a conductive channel of air develops.

How do you know if lightning is about to strike you?

If your hair stands on end, lightning is about to strike you. Drop to your knees and bend forward but don't lie flat on the ground. Wet ground is a good conductor of electricity.


How do you know if lightning is going to strike your house?

Here's what you need to know.
  • You See Tall, Bright White Clouds. ...
  • You Can Hear the Thunder Approaching. ...
  • You See Your Hair Standing on End or Feel Tingling. ...
  • You Taste Something Metallic. ...
  • You Smell the Scent of Ozone in the Air. ...
  • You Start to Get Dizzy or Sweat. ...
  • You Can Hear Vibrating, Buzzing, or Crackling.


What happens if lightning touches you?

When lightning strikes and reaches the nervous system, it can directly damage nerve cells, cause temporary paralysis and cause arteries and vessels in the brain to burst. Electricity from lightning can also cause extreme damage to the cardiovascular system, the system that includes the heart and blood vessels.

How likely is it to be hit by lightning?

But the odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are less than one in a million, and almost 90% of all lightning strike victims survive.


Where is the safest place to be during a lightning storm?

While no place is 100% safe from lightning, some places are much safer than others. The safest location during a thunderstorm is inside a large enclosed structure with plumbing and electrical wiring. These include shopping centers, schools, office buildings, and private residences.

Can lightning travel through floors?

Once in a structure, lightning can travel through the electrical, phone, plumbing, and radio/television reception systems. Lightning can also travel through any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring..

Is it OK to have AC on during thunderstorm?

Lightning strikes are statistically very rare and it is generally safe to leave your window AC unit plugged in. Air conditioners are electrically insulated to remain safe in the event of a surge. The refrigerant inside the unit is nonflammable, so you aren't in danger of an explosion.


What should I unplug during a thunderstorm?

Anything that's plugged into an outlet in your home is at risk of suffering damage from an electrical surge during thunderstorms. If an electrical storm has been forecast, unplug your computer, laptop, and other devices, and consider unplugging appliances.

Does WIFI attract lightning?

Contrary to some urban legends and media reports, electronic devices do not attract lightning the way a tall tree or a lightning rod does.
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