L.A. County Office of Emergency Management Issues Thunderstorm and Lightning Safety Tips

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) Los Angeles/Oxnard office is forecasting a slight chance of thunderstorm and lightning in the Antelope Valley and the Los Angeles County Mountains scheduled to arrive this afternoon and evening. The following are some safety tips to help prepare residents for thunderstorms and lightning;
•If you hear thunder, then lightning is close enough to strike you, and you should move to a safe shelter: a substantial building (office building, school and home offer good protection). Once inside, stay away from windows, doors, and anything that conducts electricity such as corded telephones, computers and other equipment.

•Electrical charges can linger in clouds after a thunderstorm has passed; experts recommend that people should wait at least 30 minutes after the storm before resuming activities. Stay away from objects that conduct electricity (barbed wire fences, power lines, windmills, etc.). Unplug any electronic equipment well before the storm arrives.

•No place outside is safe in or near a thunderstorm. Stop what you are doing and get to a safe place immediately. Remember small outdoor buildings, including dugouts, rain shelters, sheds, etc., are not safe.

For additional information, please go to http://www.ready.gov/thunderstorms-lightning.

More from News