In this Post
Thunderstorm Safety Tips
Helping Someone Struck by Lightning
Global warming is constantly increasing the average temperature of the earth’s climate system, which has triggered a change in the global weather patterns. This is one of the main reasons why the occurrence of different types of storms has become a norm these days. In Pakistan, a thunderstorm is, arguably, the most commonly occurring type of storm. Thunderstorms usually hit different parts of the country at the peak of summer and winter seasons.
So, if your city has a forecast of a thunderstorm and you’re looking for ways to prepare for it, we’ve got you covered. In this post, you will learn about some of the most essential thunderstorm safety tips and how to help someone who is struck by lightning.
Let’s begin!
Important Thunderstorm Safety Tips
Some of the most useful tips to stay safe during a thunderstorm have been listed and discussed below:
- Keep a Check on Weather Updates
- Don’t Go Out Unnecessarily
- Stay Away from Wires and Antennas
- Take Shelter Immediately
- Avoid Contact with Water
Keep a Check on Weather Updates
One of the basic thunderstorm safety rules is that if there is a storm prediction. You should keep a close check on the weather updates. At home, you can simply tune into a local news channel or use any of your mobile devices to stay updated with the weather conditions. However, make sure to avoid using any of them when the storm finally hits your area.
You can also simply watch the sky from inside your home through a window or balcony. This is important to get an idea of your local area weather conditions. If you’re out in your car and you hear about a thunderstorm approaching, tune into any of your local radio stations. They may often tell about the best routes to take in such weather conditions along with giving you updates. This is how to ensure your safety during a thunderstorm when you are out on the road.
Don’t Go Out Unnecessarily
Staying put is one of the most essential thunderstorm safety tips. It is better not to leave your home until it is extremely necessary. Thunderstorms usually bring with them torrential rains, which makes urban flooding quite a common occurrence.
So, if you are stuck somewhere outside or heading back home from, then make sure not to take the route flooded with water. It poses dangers like floating debris, open manholes and bare electric wires hiding underwater.
Considering all these hazards, it may be in your best interest not to leave home or get home as soon as you can during the stormy weather. This is why staying indoors is one of the most useful thunderstorm safety tips.
Stay Away from Wires and Antennas
Electrical wires and antennas are good conductors of electricity and lightning. So, it is better to avoid having them around you. For instance, if a storm has hit your neighbourhood and there is still power in your home, you can simply turn off all electrical devices catching signals.
Safety Tip: Taking pictures and posting them on social media has become a trend these days. However, these activities are not worth risking your life. The antennas in your devices can easily attract lightning bolts so it is better to avoid using them. This also one of the useful tips on how to ensure your safety during a thunderstorm.
Take Shelter Immediately
If you’re caught up in a thunderstorm and you’re not at home, you should take shelter immediately. If you’re still driving, stop at once. Park your car somewhere there is a shade or at a roadside under the bridge.
If you’re on foot, you can simply take shelter at your nearest bus stop, a local cafe, or one of your friend’s homes. Not continuing with your journey until the storm clears is among the basic thunderstorm safety rules.
Avoid Contact with Water
One of the most useful tips to stay safe during a thunderstorm is staying clear of the water. Water usually dissolves ionic compounds that are electrically charged. This quality makes the water a good conductor of electricity. That said, the entire puddle of gathered rainwater on the road can become electrically charged with one strike of lighting.
So, if you want to stay safe from being electrocuted, you should avoid taking the route having puddles of rainwater. On a side note, you can also take a look at this blog if you want to know more about urban flooding safety tips.
Despite taking all thunderstorm safety precautions, if someone around you gets hit by lightning, you should not panic. In the next section of our blog, we have discussed some of the best tips to assist lightning strike victims.
How to Help Someone Who is Struck by Lightning
People struck by lightning may suffer severe medical conditions that need to be taken care of immediately. Here are a few important tips that can save the life of a lightning strike victim.
- Call for rescue immediately. Here’s a list of emergency numbers in Pakistan that may come in handy.
- One of the best tips to assist lightning strike victims is to relocate them somewhere safe.
- Keep checking the heartbeat, pulse, and breathing of the victim.
- The best place to check on the pulse is the carotid artery that is found on the neck right underneath the jaw area.
- If the victim stops breathing, immediately begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. These kinds of first aid treatments are among the best ways to rescue a lighting strike victim until the help arrives.
- Try putting a protective layer between the victim and the surface that is wet and cold to eliminate all the risks of electrocution.
Now that we have discussed all the useful thunderstorm safety precautions and discussed ways to rescue a lightning strike victim, it’s time to wrap up this piece. In case, if you want to add anything important in this regard based on your personal experience, feel free to share it with us at blog@zameen.com. We’d be glad to hear from you.
Also, don’t forget to share this piece among your friends and family to make them aware of all the useful thunderstorm safety tips.
Meanwhile, you may also be interested in taking a look at our blogs discussing common home electrical safety tips, house flood safety tips, and safety precautions to take during a housefire.
Keep reading more of our informative pieces based on useful lifestyle tips, bookmark Zameen Blog, the country’s leading lifestyle blog, in your browser. If you want to receive our daily email alerts, subscribe to our e-newsletter by filling up the subscription box shown on your screen.
