These images show: a thunderstorm, a radar image of a thunderstorm, activities where people need to take caution because they are in potential danger due to a thunderstorm, and a weather radio.
Images Courtesy of NOAA Photo Library, NOAA Central Library; OAR/ERL/National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), National Weather Service Forecast Office of Louisville, KY, Alicia Pearce, Mitchell Shmiga
Thunderstorm Safety
Thunderstorms can be really dangerous! Flash floods, lightning
bolts, hail, tornadoes...all of these
things can hurt you if you're not careful. So here's some safety tips.
GO INSIDE! If you hear distant thunder or see a flash of light, get
indoors immediately. Seek shelter from sturdy buildings, not
lean-tos or outhouses. You can stay in a car if that is your only
option, but do not touch any of the metal on the car. If you cannot find
shelter, stay away from
tall, isolated objects such as trees, poles, or posts. Make sure that
you are not the tallest object by crouching down.
Crouch down, bend forward, and grab your ankles. Keep your head down.
Do not lie flat on the ground and try to keep out of puddles or other
standing water.
If you can get into a house or
school, go down
to either the basement or a room that is in the center of the building.
Stay away from windows. That way, if a tornado touches down, you'll be
safe.
Do not use a phone or a computer
during a thunderstorm. Do not take a shower or wash dishes. Lightning
can strike the plumbing or electrical wires
that connect to your house and give you an electrical shock if you use
these items.
After the storm passes, wait about half an hour before leaving the house.
Lightning can still be prevalent in the sky, and more storms may come.
If there are downed power lines anywhere around you, DO NOT touch them.
Call your electrical company and have them take care of it.
Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!
Cool It! is the new card game from the Union of Concerned Scientists that teaches kids about the choices we have when it comes to climate change—and how policy and technology decisions made today will matter. Cool It! is available in our
online store.
You might also be interested in:
Lightning is the most spectacular element of a thunderstorm. In fact it is how thunderstorms got their name. Wait a minute, what does thunder have to do with lightning? Well, lightning causes thunder.
...more
Dangerous flash floods have killed hundreds of people and caused hundreds of millions of dollars of damage in the Front Range of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. The area gets summer flash floods when intense
...more
Thunderstorms are one of the most thrilling and dangerous types of weather phenomena. Over 40,000 thunderstorms occur throughout the world each day. Thunderstorms form when very warm, moist air rises into
...more
Ever looked up in the sky on a lazy Sunday afternoon and just watched the clouds? Well, here's a project where you can do just that and learn something too! This project works best if you do it with a
...more
Everyone knows that lightning is very dangerous. But how much do you really know about lightning? Do you know how it really works? How many people are killed or injured each year? Where do most lightning
...more There are two main types of thunderstorms: ordinary and severe. Ordinary thunderstorms are the common summer storm. Ordinary thunderstorms last about one hour. The precipitation associated with them is
...more
A supercell thunderstorm is a huge rotating thunderstorm. It can last for several hours as a single storm. These storms are the most likely to produce long-lasting tornadoes and baseball-sized hail. Tornadoes
...more
