Following the incident where five young adults died and another one sustained injury in Digos City due to a lightning strike on Easter Sunday, April 9, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in the city issued safety tips during a lightning storm.
The victims were celebrating Easter Sunday in Camp Madeger, Barangay Binaton when a localized thunderstorm hit the area. What was supposed to be a happy occasion turned into a tragedy when they were hit by lightning strikes killing four of the victims instantly. The fifth victim was declared dead on arrival at a nearby hospital.
The BFP explained that danger can be avoided if there are steps taken during a lightning storm. The public is encouraged to check the weather forecast before participating in outdoor activities.
The BFP said that in case of bad weather, postpone the trip or activities first. Public authorities are advised to be alert and vigilant at all times to avoid putting lives in danger.
According to studies, 1/3 of lightning-strike injuries happen indoors.
The BFP issued the following safety tips:
Indoor safety tips:
- Avoid water. Do not bathe, shower, wash dishes, or have any other contact with water during a thunderstorm because lightning can travel through a building’s plumbing. The risk of lightning traveling through plumbing might be less with plastic pipes than with metal pipes. However, it is best to avoid any contact with plumbing and running water during a lightning storm to reduce your risk of being struck.
- Do not touch electronic equipment.
- Do not use anything connected to an electrical outlet, such as computers, laptops, game systems, washers, dryers, or stoves. Lightning can travel through electrical systems, radio and television reception systems, and any metal wire or bar in concrete walls or flooring.
- Equip your home with whole-house surge protectors to protect your appliances. Avoid windows, doors, porches, and concrete. Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches.
- Do not lie on concrete floors or lean on concrete walls during a thunderstorm. Lightning can travel through any metal wire or bar in concrete walls or flooring.
- Do not use corded phones. Corded phones are not safe to use during a thunderstorm. Do not use them. However, using cordless or cellular phones during a storm is safe.
Outdoor safety tips
- Go indoors. Remember the phrase, “When thunder roars, go indoors.” Find a safe, enclosed shelter when you hear thunder. Safe shelters include homes, offices, shopping centers, and hard-top vehicles with the windows rolled up.
- If you are caught outside with no safe shelter nearby, the following actions might reduce your risk of being struck by lightning. Immediately get off elevated areas such as hills, mountain ridges, or peaks.
- Never lie flat on the ground. Crouch down in a ball-like position with your head tucked and hands over your ears so that you are down low with minimal contact with the ground.
- Never shelter under an isolated tree. If you are in a forest, shelter near lower trees.
- Never use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter. Immediately get out of and away from ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water.
- Stay away from objects that conduct electricity (such as barbed wire fences, power lines, or windmills). Separate from others.
- If you are in a group during a thunderstorm, separate from each other. This will reduce the number of injuries if lightning strikes the ground.
- Return to shore immediately if you are out in the open water and a storm rolls in.
- If you are on a boat in open water when a thunderstorm rolls in, return to shore immediately and seek shelter. If you are unable to return to shore, boats with cabins offer some protection. If caught in a storm in a small boat with no cabin, drop anchor and get as low as possible.
- Do not stay in open vehicles. Avoid open vehicles such as convertibles, motorcycles, and golf carts during a thunderstorm.
- Do not stay in open structures. Avoid open structures such as porches, gazebos, baseball dugouts, and sports arenas. These structures won’t protect you from lightning.
- Avoid open spaces. Stay away from open spaces such as golf courses, parks, playgrounds, ponds, lakes, swimming pools, and beaches. Seek shelter immediately.
- Do not stay near tall structures. Stay away from tall structures, such as telephone poles and trees; lightning tends to strike the tallest object around.
