Disaster and Emergency Management ResourcesWhat to Tell Children about Thunderstorms and LightningThe sound of thunder can be especially frightening for young children. Take the"scariness" away by teaching them what to expect during a thunderstorm and how to besafe.· Postpone outdoor activities if thunderstorms are likely. Many people take shelterfrom the rain, but most people struck by lightning are not in the rain! Postponingactivities is your best way to avoid being caught in a dangerous situation.· If you see or hear a thunderstorm coming, go inside a sturdy building or car.Sturdy buildings are the safest place to be. If no building is nearby, a hard-toppedvehicle will offer some protection. Keep car windows closed and avoidconvertibles. Rubber-soled shoes and rubber tires provide no protection fromlightning. However, the steel frame of a hard-topped vehicle provides increasedprotection if you are not touching metal. Although you may be injured if lightningstrikes your car, you are much safer inside a vehicle than outside.· If you can't get inside, or if you feel your hair stand on end, which meanslightning is about to strike, hurry to a low, open space immediately. Crouch downon the balls of your feet, place your hands on your knees and lower your head.Make yourself the smallest target possible and minimize contact with the ground.· Practice the "crouch down" position. Show children how to practice squatting lowto the ground to be the smallest target possible for lightning in case they getcaught outside in a thunderstorm. Show them how to place their hands on theirknees and lower their head, crouching on the balls of their feet.· Stay away from tall things like trees, towers, fences, telephone lines, and powerlines. They attract lightning. Never stand underneath a single large tree out in theopen, because lightning usually strikes the highest point in an area.· Stay away from metal things that lightning may strike, such as umbrellas, baseballbats, fishing rods, camping equipment, and bicycles. Lightning is attracted tometal and poles or rods.WVU Extension Service Disaster and Emergency Management ResourcesWhat to Tell Children about Thunderstorms and LightningSection 4.4 Page 1· If boating or swimming, get to land immediately. Stay away from rivers, lakes,and other bodies of water and get off the beach. Saturated sand conductselectricity very well. Water is an excellent conductor of electricity. Whenlightning strikes nearby, the electrical charge can travel through the water. Eachyear people are killed by nearby lightning strikes while they are in or on the wateror on the beach.· Turn off the air conditioner and television and stay off the phone until the storm isover. Lightning can cause electric appliances, including televisions andtelephones, to become dangerous during a thunderstorm.· Stay away from running water inside the house; avoid washing your hands andtaking a bath or shower. Electricity from lightning has been known to come insidethrough plumbing.· Keep an eye on the sky. Pay attention to weather clues around you that may warnof imminent danger. Look for darkening skies, flashes of lightning, or increasingwind, which may be signs of an approaching thunderstorm.· Stay aware of your surroundings. Look for places you might go should severeweather threaten.· Listen for the sound of thunder. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough tothe storm to be struck by lightning. Go to safe shelter immediately.Adapted from resource material developed by the Federal Emergency ManagementAgency and the National Weather ServiceWVU Extension Service Disaster and Emergency Management ResourcesWhat to Tell Children about Thunderstorms and LightningSection 4.4 Page 2...
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