• Ensure that family members know the warning signs and how to respond during a thunderstorm
• Teach the family how to turn off gas, electricity and water
• Everyone should know how and when to call 9-1-1
• Teach children how to use a radio or receive emergency information

Caught out in a Storm?

• Attempt to get inside of a building
• If no building is available, squat low in an open space such as a field or park
• Kneel or crouch placing your hands on your knees and do not lie flat on the ground
• Never stand underneath a single tree. If in a wooded area, find an area protected by a low clump of trees
• Avoid natural lightning rods such as:
  • Tools
  • Golf clubs
  • Tractors
  • Fishing rods
  • Bicycles
  • Camping equipment
• Stay out of the water

Caught in a storm while in your car?

• Stay in your car and use your emergency flashers until the storm passes
• Pull safely off the shoulder of the road
• Stay away from trees which could fall on to the vehicle

Don’t forget about your pets in a storm

• Get small pets inside to protect them from hail and lightning
• If you own livestock, check them for injuries as soon as possible after the storm passes

Potential Yard Hazards

• Dead or rotting trees and branches can fall during a severe thunderstorm causing injury or property damage
• Time permitting, tie down lawn chairs and other objects or put inside a storage area or garage

Take lightning and thunderstorms seriously, they can cause serious injury and death.

Severe Storm Safety Kit

Choose a designated safe room, a protected area your family can seek shelter.

Have on hand:

• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Portable battery operated radio and extra batteries
• Emergency food (non-perishable) and water
• Emergency food and water for pets
• Non-electric can opener
• Prescription medicines
• Cash and credit cards
• Sturdy shoes and rain gear

Lightning Facts

• Lightning is caused by the attraction between positive and negative charges in the atmosphere, resulting in the buildup and discharge of electrical energy
• A lightning flash can happen in half a second
• In that half second, the lightning flash superheats the surrounding air to a temperature five times hotter than that on the surface of the sun, or 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit
• Nearby air expands and vibrates, forming sound that we hear as thunder
• According to the National Weather Service, lightning strikes somewhere on the surface of the earth 100 million times each day
• Each strike of lightning contains about one billion volts of electricity
• Lightning is the second leading cause of storm deaths in the United States
• Lightning causes millions of dollars in property damage

Thunderstorms Facts

Some thunderstorms can be seen as they approach, however some may not be visible. 

Thunderstorm watch

• Conditions are such that winds reach or exceed 68 miles per hour

• Hail three-fourths of an inch in diameter occurs

Thunderstorm warning

• A severe thunderstorm meeting the “thunderstorm watch” condition have been sighted or observed on radar
• Warning signs of thunderstorm conditions
• A severe storm meets the thunderstorm watch conditions
• Dark towering or threatening clouds
• Distant lightning and thunder