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Recently, thunderstorms have been frequent, arriving suddenly and catching people off guard. Here’s a summary of our precautions for outdoor activities during thunderstorms;
1. Do not stay in high places, such as mountaintops, ridges, or rooftops, and avoid open areas like playgrounds or squares.
2. Swimming or boating on open water is also highly susceptible to lightning strikes—stop immediately, head ashore, and find a safe shelter.
3. Do not take shelter from rain in small, unprotected structures in open areas, such as sheds, carports, under umbrellas, or small pavilions. A car, however, is a safe place to seek shelter from rain.
4. Stay away from exposed metal objects on buildings, such as water pipes or gas pipes, and avoid outdoor electrical equipment like transformer boxes or distribution panels.
5. Do not take shelter under large rocks or at cave entrances during thunderstorms; avoid staying under tall trees, as this is common knowledge, haha.
6. Reduce wearing metal jewelry during thunderstorms and avoid outdoor ball sports. Be careful not to raise items like rackets, umbrellas, or fishing rods too high to prevent increasing your effective height and becoming a "lightning rod."
7. Outdoors, if you see lightning and hear thunder within 3–5 seconds, it means you’re close to a danger zone; if you feel a crawling sensation on your head, neck, or hands, or if your hair stands on end, a lightning strike may be imminent. Immediately stop walking, bring your feet together, crouch down, hug your knees with your hands, press your chest to your thighs, and lower your head as much as possible, since the head is the most vulnerable part of the body to lightning.
8. If you see a high-voltage power line break due to a lightning strike while outdoors, be alert—there may be step voltage near the break. Do not run; the wider your steps, the higher the voltage and the greater the risk of injury. Instead, jump away with your feet together (yes, the zombie jump—we all know how to do it, haha).
When taking shelter from a thunderstorm in an urban area, stay away from metal objects, iron railings, or large billboards. Do not stand under eaves or crowd at mall entrances to avoid the rain—ideally, go indoors and wait for the storm to pass.
Pathfinder Travel, your outdoor adventure and self-driving travel network.