* Go Inside!
The safest place to be in a lightning storm is indoors. Automobiles are also very
effective in protecting you from a big shock because the current flows through the metal
frame of the car. If you are in a car, do not touch any exposed metal that is connected
to the car. Indoors means indoors. Structures like bus shelters, outhouses, lean-to
shelters, or any small nonmetal structures do not give sufficient lightning protection. If
you are in a house or building, do not use the telephone or any electrical appliance that
is connected to the building's electrical wiring. Do not use showers, sinks, or anything
where you are in contact with water that is in turn in contact with the building's plumbing
system. If lightning strikes the building you are in, it is likely the current will flow either
through the electrical wiring or the water pipes, and you may receive a possibly fatal
shock if you are in contact with the wiring or water system.
* If you are caught outside:
Stay away from tall, isolated objects like trees, flagpoles, or posts, and avoid large
open areas like fields or parking lots where you are the relatively highest object. Stay
away from lakes, ponds, railroad tracks, and fences which could bring current from a
'far-away' lightning strike to you. Dense woods are relatively safe due to the large
number of trees that decrease the chance of lightning striking a tree next to you, but do
not stand close to any of the trees. If there is no shelter, crouch down, grab your
ankles, and bend forward, in a position where your head is not the highest part of your
body and where your head does not touch the ground. DO NOT lie flat on the ground.
If lightning is about to strike you or something extremely close, you may experience a
tingling feeling on your skin and/or your hair may stand on end. If this occurs, quickly
get into the position described above. It is unlikely that you will not be able find
sufficient shelter, though.
* Lightning strike victims:
Victims of lightning strikes are not always initially in a fatal situation. Typically a lightning
strike will cause 'only' a cardiac arrest that can be corrected by proper resuscitation.
Many lightning-related deaths occur when the victim does not receive the proper
medical attention, so make it a priority to KNOW Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
(CPR). For information on how to learn CPR, look in the American Heart
Association's Gopher.