Safe through a thunderstorm
11 tips that can save your life
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Should i stand under a tree? Or lay on the floor? 11 tips in case you are caught in a thunderstorm.
What to do if a thunderstorm suddenly approaches?
Something’s brewing back there !? If you are surprised by a thunderstorm on a hike or bike ride, it is ideal if you can find a brick building or a haystack in which to take shelter. Otherwise, be sure to keep your distance from masts, bodies of water and trees.
Don’t give lightning a target!
If you can’t find shelter, it’s time to crouch down, put your feet as close together as possible, duck your head. Under no circumstances lay it flat on the floor – this only increases your area of attack for lightning.
“You should look for bookings, you should give way to oaks” – is that correct?
Unfortunately not true. Trees, like anything tall, are lightning magnets. Therefore it is always dangerous in the forest, no matter which trees grow there. Trees with thin trunks are the lesser evil, because the thick ones are usually the taller ones.
I’m traveling in a group
Even if you want to snuggle up tightly to each other now: If you are in a group, you should keep at least three meters away from each other.
Umbrella open or closed?
If you are in an exposed position, close your umbrella – lightning always strikes at the highest point.
I’m on my bike
If you are surprised by a thunderstorm on a bike tour, it is best to put your bike on the ground and move at least three meters away from it. So nothing happens to you if your bike is struck by lightning.
Do I have to get out of the water?
Yes immediately! The lightning current would spread on the water.
Should i get in the car?
It’s safe in the car. But only if you don’t touch any metal parts. Because the lightning is diverted to the earth via the metal body (“Faraday cage”). Important: close windows and sunroof!
Can I call my best friend to calm me down?
D rather not. It is best to turn off the cell phone and never make calls outside. The device could conduct the lightning current directly into the body.
How do I behave at home?
Disconnects all devices from the power socket before the thunderstorm, including power strips that can be switched off. Even if lightning does not strike the house, TVs, computers etc. can be damaged by overvoltages.
My child is very afraid of thunderstorms – what to do?
We have Dr. Carola Bindt, specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy at the “Altona Children’s Hospital” in Hamburg asked:
“It is most effective if the person with the child remains calm and does not show any fear. Distract the child, help to relax him, for example by reading a story to him or writing it down Play game with him.
Do not try to explain the phenomenon scientifically to the child. In the fearful situation it will not be receptive. For a child under four years of age, the following applies anyway: They cannot yet understand a complex relationship such as the formation of a thunderstorm.
The natural phenomenon can be explained to older children – but in a relaxed situation. If you listen to the rumble of thunder full of fear, such explanations will not work. Incidentally, this also applies to adults; neither can we learn vocabulary if we are afraid. “
Here is another charming video for children from the “Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief”: