Each year more than 1,000 tornadoes touch down in the United States and lightening strikes the earth some 20 million times. In fact lightening is actually more prevalent during summer storms.

In order to protect yourself from lightening there are a few rules that you should follow.

1. Take shelter in a sturdy building.
2. Unplug appliances and do not use the phone.
3. Do not take a bath or a shower.
4. If you are caught outside, with no shelter, stay away from tall objects like trees, power lines, and flagpoles.
5. Stay away from natural lightening rods like fishing poles, camping gear, bicycles, tractors, and golf clubs.
6. If there is absolutely no shelter nearby, get into a car and roll up the windows.
7. If you are in the woods, get under a low clump of trees and squat down on the balls of your feet. Put your hands on your knees and your head between your knees.
8. If you are boating or swimming, get out of the water and go into a sturdy shelter immediately.

Listen for information on the lightening storm has passed.

In order to protect yourself from a tornado here a list of precautions to take:

1. Listen for watches and warnings.
   1. A watch is issued when conditions are right for a tornado to develop.
   2. A warning is issued when a tornado is spotted.
2. Take shelter immediately when a warning is issued.
   1. The shelter should be on the lowest floor of your home or business.
   2. You can take shelter in your basement.
   3. Whichever one you are able to use find the most interior room, without any windows and get under a sturdy piece of furniture.
3. ***If you are in a mobile home or in a car go outside.
   1. Lie flat in a ditch and cover your head with your arms.
4. If you are outside and there is no shelter
   1. Lie flat in a ditch and cover your head with your arms.
5. Tornadoes can be accompanied by flash flooding so watch carefully for rising water levels.

According to the National Weather Service, floods and flash floods cause more deaths in the United States than any other weather related incident – approximately 140 deaths each year. When floods or flash floods are imminent emergency response leaders may ask you to evaluate your home. Follow their instructions promptly, using a designated evacuation route.

In case of a flood, do not drive your vehicle through flooded areas since most deaths in these situations occur to people attempting to drive through an area that is deeper than they anticipated. Floodwaters hide road damage thus making it possible for as little as two feet of water to sweep your car off the road.

If you are outside when flooding occurs move to higher ground immediately. Also, do not try to walk through flooded areas that are more than ankle deep and do not allow children to play around swollen streams, drainage ditches, or viaducts.

While severe weather conditions are a fact of life, you should be safe if you follow these basic safety precautions.

(Information is from the Christian County Health Department, Ozark, MO)

[tags]severe weather, protecting against severe weather, tornado precautions, lightening, tornadoes, flash floods, flooding, Christian County, safety precautions[/tags]