“When thunder roars, go indoors!” Good advice, but it doesn’t go far enough. Here’s just part of what’s missing from that story. Let’s say the weather forecast calls for “scattered thunderstorms,” but you don’t believe it. It’s a little cloudy, sure, but you decide to go golfing anyway. And there you are, at the 6^th tee, a long walk back to club house, when you hear a distant roar. Now what? Turn your cart around and get back to the club house without wasting another minute – that’s what!

Here are a few other precautionary measures well-worth heeding for your own safety:

• Don’t take a bath or shower, or wash dishes. Electrical currents can travel through the plumbing pipes and put you at risk of electrocution.
• Avoid standing on concrete. The metal rebar or wire mesh that is often placed in concrete is a strong conductor of electricity.
• Don’t use a landline phone. Lightning can travel through a phone line, so use your cell phone but not when it’s plugged into a wall charger.
• Don’t stand under a tree. Trees attract lightening as it makes its way to the ground. And yet, since people conduct electricity better than trees, lightning can jump from tree to person.
• Keep away from windows. Windows contain metal parts that attract lightning.
• Avoid using electronic equipment of all types. Lightning can travel through electrical systems and radio and television reception systems.
• Avoid using corded phones. Corded phones are NOT safe to use during a thunderstorm. However, cordless or cellular phones are safe to use during a storm.
• Don’t use small appliances. This is not the time to curl your hair, blend a smoothie, or whip up cake batter. An appliance plugged into an outlet during a storm can carry a lightning strike.
• If you have advance notice of a storm, consider turning off circuit breakers to avoid power surges that may occur from lightning.
• Avoid elevated areas such as hills or peaks and never shelter under an isolated tree.
• Get off bicycles, motorcycles, scooters or other small vehicles.
• If you’re in the water, head for shore immediately and avoid metal objects. Water and metal can both carry an electrical current.

Here at C&D Cooling & Heating, your comfort and safety are our top priorities. We’ll do our part to keep you and your home safe from harm, especially when performing annual heating and cooling system preventive maintenance. For everything else, and if you don’t already know what risks you might be taking, do your research before you engage. It’s the safe, smart thing to do.