National Lightning Safety Awareness Week

When storm clouds gather, seek shelter in an enclosed building immediately. Your distance from lightning strikes may be determined using the five second rule. Mary Keiser - If you see lightning, you count and use the five second rule. For every five seconds that passes from lightning strike until you hear thunder, the storm is a mile a away. A lightning strike known as a "bolt from the blue" may occur under blue skies up to 25 miles from a storm. Mary- Lightning may occur out the back side of a thunderstorm and arc out horizontally and then down to the ground. When there are thunderstorms in the sky, you need to stay away from metal poles. They will act like a conductor. You need to step away from the pole several feet because the ground will allow the lightning to travel into you. Do not be a conductor. Mary - So if you are in an exposed area like that, the best thing to do is get back to your car. The car will need to be a hard top with rolled up windows to provide safe shelter. The majority of lightning deaths occur on boats with no cabin. Mary- Check the radar on television, internet, or radio, however you get your information. When you are out on the lake, make sure you have some means of communication. Lightning strikes can carry up to one hundred million volts of electricity into your home using plumbing, electrical wiring, and telephone wires as a conductor. Do not take a shower, wash the dishes, run the washer or dryer, or use the telephone during a thunderstorm. Lightning is fascinating to watch, but please exercise caution. Mary- It is very deceiving and dangerous. We need to stay away from windows and stay away from the back porch. Try to use electrical equipment as little as possible. Surge protectors will not save your electronics. The best protection is to unplug them. Mike Moritz KLST News.