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Thunderstorm is considered one of the most dangerous natural phenomena. It is an electrical discharge – lightning that occurs near and inside the clouds.
They are accompanied by thunder, which often frightens children and even sometimes adults, due to the gloomy atmosphere that has arisen.
Probably everyone knows that you can’t hide under a tree during a thunderstorm – but this is only one point, in fact, it’s better not to do a lot of things …
This is interesting: Lightning’s “favorite” – Roy Sullivan, (National Inspector) became a lightning target 7 times in a row. He lost his fingers and toes, most of his body was covered in burns, but despite being frequently struck by lightning, he died at age 71 under mysterious circumstances.
Remember 10 rules so that in the event of a thunderstorm, you can be sure that you are doing everything possible for your safety.
10 Don’t hide under a tree
If there are no shops nearby, no rooftops to hide from the rain, let’s say you are in a field on an excursion or walking along a path through the forest – do not hide under a tree, even if others practice it.
Lightning strikes higher objects, and it is better to move some distance away from the tree, rather than approach it. Lightning can strike a tree, after which it will catch fire. If you stand under a tree, the lightning will touch you.
9. Get in the right posture
If there is nowhere to go, and the rain started suddenly, you need to take the right posture when the thunderstorm starts.
Squat down, without the need to defend yourself with any attributes – for example, an umbrella.
Your posture should resemble the “fetal position”, some people sleep in this, so it will not be difficult to sit down.
The face is towards the knees, and the legs are together. If you are very funny – try to refrain from laughing, it may cost you your life.
8. Turn off your phone
When you notice that a thunderstorm is starting, turn off your mobile phone. Radio waves attract electrical discharges.
One day, a girl was talking on the phone in the park, and a lightning bolt passed through the ear to which the mobile was attached, causing a rupture of the eardrum, permanent deafness and brain damage.
Even if you need to make a very important call, it is better to wait a moment.
7. Hide from the storm
If you were traveling in a bus or car and stopped, wait out the lightning in transport.
Their metal shells act as a “Faraday cage” (enclosed space to prevent the passage of electromagnetic fields).
Lightning does not penetrate inside such a structure, but “flows” into the ground. Even if the car will stand in the water, the chance of impact is very small – the car is isolated from the ground by rubber tires. A car is not only a means of transportation, but also protection from a thunderstorm.
6. Look around yourself
See if there are any metal particles on your clothes, or maybe jewelry on your body?
Metal is able to attract lightning, once they even showed on TV how lightning struck a chain that was around a woman’s neck. Fortunately, she survived, but the chain left a scar. It looks like it was burned out on purpose.
Earrings are not so scary, but a metal bracelet, chains are what you should take off during a thunderstorm, because a discharge passes through them. If you do not want to become an attractive object for lightning, get rid of jewelry.
5. Remember what to do at home
While at home, turn off the gas and all electrical appliances from the outlet. The computer, TV and even the refrigerator must be turned off.
Even if the likelihood of damage to equipment is minimal, you are unlikely to want to buy a new one. It’s easier to turn everything off for a while than to buy later.
Of course, when a thunderstorm begins, you need to close the vents and windows in the house, because lightning can fly in and get into the outlet. Make it a habit to turn off appliances and close windows.
4. Don’t hide from the rain
If you are far from home, and there is nowhere to hide from the rain, do not be afraid of the rain – let it, on the contrary, wet you harder.
Usually people try to keep themselves dry by throwing a sweater or a bag over their heads. But if your clothes get wet enough, you’re less likely to be struck by lightning than if they were left dry.
Wet clothes conduct electricity better – even if lightning strikes you, the electricity will pass through your clothes without hitting your body.
3. Leave the area near the water
If it suddenly happened that you did not have time to leave the beach before the appearance of a thunderstorm, move as far away from the water as possible.
Water is an excellent conductor of electricity – lightning that has fallen into it strikes everything around within a radius of about 100 m.
Lightning can take you by surprise even when you are relaxing on the water while riding a boat. In this case, you need to try to get to the shore as quickly as possible – you need to duck along the way (preferably as low as possible) to minimize the chances of a lightning strike.
2. Stay calm when encountering lightning
Not all people know how to control their emotions – this is really not as easy as it might seem. When we face danger, the instinct of self-preservation wakes up in us.
We sometimes react too violently to danger, but for our own safety we need to learn how to manage our emotions.
You must remember that the lightning ball appears for no more than 2 minutes, so try not to make any rash actions during this time – do not run, because this way you will only invite the lightning to follow you. The best option when the ball approaches is to freeze.
1. Stop sports activities
If you are a fan of outdoor sports – running, cycling, motorcycle riding, etc., then the first thing you need to do when it starts to rain, followed by a thunderstorm, is to stop.
If you have metal sports items with you – a bicycle, a motorcycle, then do not stay near them. Put them on the ground, and move away yourself (preferably 30 m).
So you can protect yourself, and you can read about further actions in other paragraphs (the above is what you need to do in an open area).