Caught Outside in a Storm? How to Avoid Being Struck by Lightning

It's happened to all of us. We were outside enjoying a game of golf, a picnic, a day at the lake. The day started out with clear blue skies and no rain was forecasted, but suddenly it appears. A thick black cloud filled with rain and lightning with the accompanying sounds of thunder.

What is the best course of action to avoid being struck by lightning when you are caught outside in a storm?

Think you already know the answer? Many people don't. Statistics show that dozens of people are killed each year by lightning strikes and hundreds are seriously injured. Being struck by lightning is rare, but never the less it is a real danger if you are caught outside in a storm.

To avoid being struck by lightning, go indoors. A picnic shelter or outdoor shed won't protect you from being struck by lightning. Your covering must be a building that has electrical wiring and/or a plumbing system that will conduct the electrical current of a lightning strike into the ground.

When it's storming, do not use a land line phone, do not use the sink, shower or anything else that is connected to the plumbing or electrical system of the structure you are in. Should lightning strike the structure, the electrical current from the lightning will travel through the structure's electrical and plumbing system. If you are in physical contact with anything electrical or plumbing related, the current from the lightning bolt will go through you as well.

Stay away from windows and open doors during a storm. Many people have been injured or killed by a lightning strike while standing near an open window, door or on a porch watching the storm.

If you are caught outside in a storm and there is no grounded structure nearby for you to seek shelter in, get in your car. Close the car's door and windows and do not touch anything metal in the car.

What do you do if there aren't any grounded structures or cars nearby when you're caught outside in a storm? Do not seek refuge under a solitary tree or any other tall, solitary object. The taller the singular object, the more likely it will be struck by lightning. Look for a group of trees or bushes of uniform height and take refuge there. If nothing like that is available and you are stranded in a wide open location, making yourself as low and small as possible is all you can do. Place something under your feet to prevent you from being in direct contact with the ground, crouch down and cover your head with your arms.

Know how to protect yourself in case you are caught outside in a storm and avoid being struck by lightning.
Source:
http://www.strikealert.com/LightningFacts.htm