Lewis

... Missouri Summer weather safety day...
... When thunder roars... go indoors!...

Today is Missouri Summer weather safety day. With this weekend being
the traditional start of the Summer season... now is a good time to
remind yourself of the dangers posed by Summer weather. The two
hazards we see most commonly each Summer are excessive heat and lightning.

Lightning is often considered an underrated problem. Lightning
usually claims only one or two victims at a time... and typically
does not cause mass destruction... thus lightning generally receives
much less attention than the more destructive storm-related events.

Here are some basic lightning safety rules:

The best place to be for protection from lighting is in a house or
other substantial building. Stay away from windows... doors and metal
pipes. Do not use electrical appliances during the storm. Turn off and
unplug sensitive equipment such as televisions and computers.

An enclosed car is a safe place to be regarding lightning. A
convertible however is not recommended. Get off heavy equipment such as
tractors and construction equipment.

There is no safe place outside from lightning. However... the following may
slightly lessen your chances of being struck... but do not kid
yourself. There is no safe place outside. Avoid open fields... the top of a
hill or ridge tops. Stay away from tall... isolated trees or other tall
objects. If in a Forest stay near a lower stand of trees. Stay away from
water... wet items... and metal objects such as fences and poles.