This week is Lightning Safety Awareness Week, and it’s just in time for the summer storm season. Here in the Colorado Rockies lightning is an even greater risk, with our higher elevations and fast-developing storms. With that said, and in honor of Lightning Safety Awareness Week, we thought this week’s blog would be a good time to discuss ways to prevent a lightning catastrophe.
First off, outdoors – if you see lightning, then it’s obviously close enough to strike. If you hear thunder, that also means lightning is a risk in your area. If thunder and/or lightning are present, immediately move to a safe shelter, ideally an established building structure with electricity and plumbing. A car with a metal roof and the windows up is the next best shelter.
If no shelter is available, especially avoid higher or taller spots, such as mountaintops, ridges, or isolated trees. Try to avoid metal fences, railings, and other such structures, as these can carry an electrical charge a long distance. It’s also unwise to lie flat on the ground to avoid lightning, as this makes you more vulnerable to ground charges if lightning strikes nearby. If you’re outside during a lightning storm, it’s best to keep a low profile and just keep moving across lower, less exposed areas until you can reach a safe shelter.
You’re much safer from the threat of lightning when you’re indoors, though if lightning strikes your property, it can do a lot of damage. A lightning strike can cause a power surge on your home’s electrical system, damaging expensive electronics and appliances. It can damage shingles, chimneys, and other structural features of your home. It can even start a house fire!
That’s where we at RMCat can help. If lightning damages your home, we can quickly be on the scene, arriving in as little as 30-45 minutes in Grand or Routt Counties. We can help with anything from roof repair, to house fire and smoke damage, to even structural rebuilds.
Of course, if you experience an emergency from lightning or any other event, always call 911 first. Once you alert the emergency authorities, contact us at Rocky Mountain Catastrophe, and we’ll quickly and efficiently work to get your life back to normal. We are here to help!
To contact RMCat, call us at 970-722-7744 or email [email protected].
For more info about lightning safety, check out https://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/
Always remember: “when thunder roars, go indoors!”
