Thunderstorms can be exciting to watch, but they can also be extremely dangerous. Thunderstorms can produce high winds, hail, flash flooding, and lightning. Lightning kills more people than tornados each year.

· If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by it; find safe shelter immediately.

· Move to a sturdy building and stay away from windows (don’t take shelter in a shed, under isolated trees, or in a convertible vehicle).

· If a sturdy shelter is not available, get inside a hardtop vehicle and keep the windows up.

· Get out of boats and away from water.

· Unplug appliances and avoid using the telephone except in an emergency.

By counting the seconds between the flash and the thunder and dividing by five, you can estimate your distance from the strike (in miles).

FACT VS. FICTION

Fiction: Lightning never strikes twice in the same place.

FACT: Lightning has “favorite” strikes that it may hit many times during one storm.

Fiction: If it’s not raining, then there is no danger from lightning.

FACT: Lightning often strikes outside of heavy rain and may occur as far as 10 miles away from any rainfall.

Fiction: The rubber soles of shoes or rubber tires on a car will protect you from being struck by lightning.

FACT: Rubber-soled shoes and rubber tires provide NO protection from lightning. However, the steel frame of a hard-topped vehicle provides increased protection if you are not touching metal.

Fiction: People struck by lightning carry an electrical charge and should not be touched.

FACT: Lightning-strike victims carry no electrical charge and should be attended to immediately.