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Dos and don’ts when thunderstorms strike

Here are six things we recommend you don't do when there's lightning.

While it’s not necessary to turn off everything, lights included, and sit dead still in the dark until a storm passes, there are measures you can take to keep lightning from causing serious damage to you, your home and appliances.

According to Tiffany Means’ article on ThoughtCo, you don’t want to get caught doing any of the following when a lightning storm strikes:

1. Don’t wash dishes, bathe, or do laundry

This is a really valid reason to not get up-to-date on your chores, at least until the storm passes. One of the ways lightning enters a structure after striking it, is by traveling through plumbing. Metal piping is not only an excellent conductor of electricity, but the water within them can be laden with impurities that also help conduct electricity.

2. Don’t talk on a landline telephone

Almost anytime is a good time for a chit-chat, except during a thunderstorm.

“If a bolt of lightning were to strike a telephone pole, it could cause an electrical surge to shoot through the phone lines, into your phone handset, and ultimately into your body by way of your ear pressed against that handset,” explained Tiffany Means in her article.

“Because the danger of being electrocuted over the phone comes from lightning’s ability to travel through outdoor wiring, both cell phones and cordless phones are generally safe to use.”

The exception to this would be using either outdoors or in a car, in which case they become a hazard just like any metal object.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfr9YQkAjXq/?hl=en&tagged=lightning

3. Don’t watch TV or use appliances

Just as the surge travels through phone wires, it can also travel through electrical wiring, cords and plugs. Unplug your electrical appliances, not only to protect yourself from being shocked but to protect them from short-circuiting should lightning hit and cause a voltage overload.

Laptops, tablet PCs, and E-readers are generally safe to use indoors as long as they aren’t plugged into a charger.

4. Don’t stand near windows or doors

Lightning is a gorgeous sight, especially when arcing across a night sky, however as tempting as it is to stand and watch the view, doing so can be dangerous.

“Lightning has been known to strike through glass as well as travel through unsealed cracks along doors and windowpanes,” stated the article.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfsckg6HSK2/?hl=en&tagged=lightning

5. Don’t drive or ride in a convertible

Think you’re safe from lightning in any vehicle, thanks to its rubber tires? Not quite.
A car’s metal frame keeps its driver and passengers safe. Should lightning strike a vehicle, the metal frame will conduct the electrical current around the outside of the car and into the ground below, keeping those within the car unharmed.

“The fact that convertibles don’t have metal roofs impedes this ability. The same rings true of various makes and models whose frames are manufactured out of non-metal parts,” stated the article.

6. Don’t touch any electrical or metal objects inside of your vehicle

Even if you’re inside of a metal-topped vehicle, there’s still a slight risk of being electrocuted.

“If lightning does strike your vehicle, some of its electrical current can flow through the car’s electrical systems and metal appendages, including the radio, cell phone charger, USB connectors, GPS units, car door handles, foot pedals, and even the steering wheel,” explained Tiffany Means.

“The most fool-proof way to stay safe is to pull over to the side of the road, turn on your hazard lights, turn off the engine, keep your hands in your lap, keep the windows rolled up, and wait until the thunderstorm has passed before continuing on your journey or exiting the car.”

For more interesting articles, check out ThoughtCo

 

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