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Did anyone else have trouble sleeping last night due to the crazy thunderstorm that was going on?? I haven't heard or felt such strong thunder in Southern California and it had to have happened on the first day of summer. 🙃
Officials are urging people to be cautious. Below are some cautionary steps you should take when there is a thunderstorm or any kind of intense weather occurring:
- give yourself more than enough time to drive due to potential downpours.
- be alert about dry lightning that strikes on hillsides and mountain areas, which could cause brush fires.
- damaging winds can cause problems in the inland mountain and desert areas and some beaches can close temporarily.
Below are tips from the National Weather Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when it comes to dealing with thunder and lightning:
- nowhere outside is safe when a thunderstorm hits.
- if you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to strike you.
- if you hear thunder when you are outside, quickly move to a safe shelter such as a building or metal-topped vehicle with the windows up.
- stay in the safe shelter for at least 30mins after you hear the last sound of thunder.
- if you are outside with no safe shelter nearby follow the steps below:
- quickly get off elevated areas like hills, mountain ridges or peaks.
- do not lie flat on the ground or use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter.
- don't take shelter under an isolated tree.
- quickly get away from ponds, lakes and any other types of bodies of water.
- stay away from objects that conduct electricity such as barbed wire fences, power lines, etc.
- if you are inside, below are some indoor tips:
- avoid contact with water during the thunderstorm as lightning can travel through plumbing.
- avoid using any types of electronic equipment since lightning can travel through the electrical systems, radio, and tv reception systems.
- avoid using corded phones but cordless or cellphones are okay to use during a storm.
- don't lie on concrete floors or lean on a concrete wall since lightning can travel through the metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.
Go to the Los Angeles Times for more.