Lighting Safety

My home was struck by lighting last week, and the casualties were router, television, my brother's desktop LAN port, my laptop AC adapter charger, two ceiling fans,  TV antenna and ceiling. Luckily, we were all fine, no one was hurt. 

I think that the lighting struck the antenna first, then the power transferred to the ceiling beneath it and caused the portion of ceiling to drop. The antenna was burnt into pieces. So horrible!

the damaged ceiling

even the wall has burned mark

After that incident, I read more about safety. The more I search, the more frighten I am. Many people were killed by the lighting every year. Below links were the cases that happened in Malaysia. 

Teen dies after being struck by lightning

MOE should have lightning safety rules for schools

In another article from The Star, 

"The anecdotal evidence is backed up by hard facts – according to our Meteorological Department places like Subang (Selangor), Bayan Lepas (Penang) and Kluang (Johor) have a whopping 180 to 200 “thunderstorm days” (TDs) per year (the number of days that thunder can be heard at the weather monitoring stations there. 

In contrast, figures from the National Lightning Safety Institute (NLSI) of the United States show far fewer TDs in Japan (35-40), Australia (10-70), most of Europe (15-40) and England (a paltry 5-10). Even Florida, considered the “lightning capital” of the USA, has “only” 90-110 TDs."

Malaysia had frequent thunderstorm days, however, I don't remember I had any lessons at all about the danger of lighting or the safety precautions. Every time someone was killed by the lightning, people would talk about it and faded away, until the next case coming. So, here I just want to raise awareness on the danger of lightning. 

Lightning Safety Tips: (taken from http://www.rd.com/health/wellness/lightning-safety-tips-for-staying-safe-in-a-storm/)

1. Avoid open areas. Don’t be the tallest object in the area.

2. Stay away from isolated tall trees, towers or utility poles. Lightning tends to strike the taller objects in an area.

3. Stay away from metal conductors such as wires or fences. Metal does not attract lightning, but lightning can travel long distances through it.

4. Have a lightning safety plan. Know where you’ll go for safety and how much time it will take to get there. Make sure your plan allows enough time to reach safety.

5. Postpone activities. Before going outdoors, check the forecast for thunderstorms. Consider postponing activities to avoid being caught in a dangerous situation.

6. Monitor the weather. Look for signs of a developing thunderstorm such as darkening skies, flashes of lightning or increasing wind.

7. Get to a safe place. If you hear thunder, even a distant rumble, immediately move to a safe place. Fully enclosed buildings with wiring and plumbing provide the best protection. Sheds, picnic shelters, tents or covered porches do NOT protect you from lightning. If a sturdy building is not nearby, get into a hard-topped metal vehicle and close all the windows. Stay inside until 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder.

8. If you hear thunder, don’t use a corded phone except in an emergency. Cordless phones and cell phones are safe to use.

9. Keep away from electrical equipment and wiring.

10. Water pipes conduct electricity. Don’t take a bath or shower or use other plumbing during a storm.

Malay Version

1. Elakkan kawasan yang lapang. Jangan menjadi objek yang tertinggi di kawasan itu. 

2. Elakkan pokok, menara atau tiang. Kilat ada kecenderungan untuk menyambar objek yang tinggi di satu kawasan. 

3. Menjauhkan diri daripada pengalir electrik seperti wayar atau pagar. Logam tidak akan menarik kilat, tetapi kilat boleh mengalir dengan jarak yang jauh melalui logam.

4. Mempunyai pelan keselamatan kilt. Mengetahui tempat yang selamat dan masa yang diperlukan untuk sampai. Perlulah memastikan masa yang mencukupi untuk sampai ke tempat itu. 

5. Menangguhkan aktiviti. Sebelum melakukan sesuatu, semak ramalan cuaca untuk ribut petir, kalau perlu, menagguhkan atau membatalkan aktiviti tersebut untuk meyelak daripada terperangkap dalam situasi yang berbahaya.

6. Memantau keadaan cuaca. Cari tanda-tanda ribut petir, seperti langit gelap, kilat atau angin yang kuat.

7. Pergi ke tempat yang selamat. Sekiranya anda mendengar bunyi petir, walaupun bunyi samar-samar, segera pergi ke tempat yang selamat. Bangunan tertutup dengan wiring dan sistem piping memberikan perlindungan yang terbaik. Bangsal, kem dan anjung tidak akan melindungi anda daripada petir dan kilat. Jikalau tak ada bangunan yang kukuh berdekatan, masuk ke dalam kereta dan tutup semua tingkap. Tinggal di dalam sehingga 30 minits selepas guruh yang terakhir. 

8. Jikalau guruh sudah didengari, jangan guna telefon landline. Telefon bimbit adalah selamat untuk digunakan. 

9. Menjauhkan diri daripada barangan electrik dan wiring.

10. Paip air mengalir elektrik. Jangan mandi ketika petir ribut.

brochures on lightning safety tips (taken from http://www.ehs.colostate.edu/wlightning/home.aspx)