Scared? What do to when Lightning Strikes Near You!

Merely a month after lightning strikes killed more than a hundred in UP and Bihar, tragedy has struck again in Odisha on Saturday killing 30 people. One estimate is that 24,000 people are killed by lightning strikes around the world each year and about 240,000 are injured. Another estimate is that the annual global death toll is 6,000. Because its Rainy season and chances of lightning strikes are usually high in this time of season and chances of you screaming when thunderstorms happens near you, so when thunderstorms approach there are some steps you should take to lower your chance of becoming a lightning strike statistic, thank us later.

Here are the nine precautions you should take when lightning strikes near you.

1. When a thunderstorm threatens, get inside a home or large building, or inside an all-metal (not convertible) vehicle.

2. Inside a home, avoid using the telephone, except for emergencies.

3. If you are outside, do not stand underneath a natural lighting rod such as a tall, isolated tree.

4. Avoid projecting above the surrounding landscape as you would do if you were standing on a hilltop, in an open field, on the beach, or fishing from a small boat.

5. Get out of and away from open water.

6. Get away from tractors and other metal farm equipment. Get off of and away from motorcycles, scooters, golf carts and bicycles. Put down golf clubs.

7. Stay away from wire fences, clotheslines, metal pipes, rails and other metallic paths which could carry lightning to you from some distance away.

8. Avoid standing in small isolated sheds or other small structures in open areas.

9. If you are in a forest, seek shelter in a low area under a thick growth of small trees. In open areas, go to a low place such as a ravine or a valley. Be alert for flash floods.

10. If you’re hopelessly isolated in a level field of prairie and you feel your hair stand on end – indicating that lightning is about to strike – drop to your knees and bend forward putting your hands on your knees. Do not lie flat on the ground.