5 tips for keeping yourself and your belongings safe during a thunderstorm

Thunderstorms are a threat to life and property which is why you must know how to keep yourself and your belongings safe during a thunderstorm.

Almost 1,500 people died from lighting strikes in Bangladesh between 2010 and 2016. Between March and June of 2021 alone, 177 people were killed by lighting strikes across the country, while another 47 were seriously injured.

Here are 5 tips for keeping yourself and your belongings safe during a thunderstorm.

1. Avoid Open Places

Take shelter inside a concrete building. Do not stand under tall trees or electric poles, as they too can attract lightning. Passenger sheds in open areas will also be of little help in protecting you from the lightning. 

2. Unplug Electrical Appliances

Unplug your computer, refrigerator, TV, WiFi router, and anything else that is connected to the main powerline. Lightning strikes can lead to power surges if they hit any electric poles. That in turn will cause an increase in power and voltage, something electrical appliances cannot tolerate. 

3. Wear Rubber Boots Outdoors

If you must go out during a thunderstorm, wear rubber boots. Never go out barefoot. Leather shoes will also do you no good when they get wet because of the accompanying rain.

4. Spread Out If You are in Groups

You may get caught up in a thunderstorm with a group of people. In that case, maintain a good distance between one another. A distance of at least 50 feet between one another will be good enough. Doing so reduces the chance of the lightning traveling to one person from another.

5. Get Out of the Water

Never swim during a thunderstorm. Lightning has more chances of striking water than land. So, staying inside a water body during such a storm puts you in an immediate risk.