Electrical Safety During a Storm



If a storm is passing through your area, you should be aware of the hazards of lighting. Even though you are indoors, you still could be at risk due to the electrical appliances in your home. Here are a few ways that you can ensure that you stay safe during a lighting storm. This advice will not only help you to protect your electronic devices but will also ensure that you do not get injured.


Figure Out Your Risk Levels

Lighting can enter your home during a storm in three common ways. These ways are via a direct lighting strike, through wires and pipes and via the ground. To figure out how high the risk is for lighting to enter your home, you should use a guideline of 30 seconds. If you see a lighting flash followed by thunder within 30 seconds, you should make sure that you move indoors away from the threat. This scenario typically demonstrates that the storm is less than 10 kilometres away from your area. This means that the storm is close enough to produce many lighting strikes. If you have already moved inside, make sure that you stay indoors for at least thirty minutes after hearing the last round of thunder from the storm.


Make Sure Surge Protectors Are Installed

Surge protectors can protect your home electrical appliances from being damaged by lighting during a storm. You should also make sure to do this in advance because you don't want to touch electrical outlets or appliances once the storm has started. You can suffer an electric shock by doing this if a lighting strike were to pass through your home. A safer way is just to make sure that unplug all electrical appliances prior to the storm, however this is not really possible for most people.


Avoid Phones With Cords

Using phones with cords is the main source of accidental electrocutions that happen during storms. If you need to use a phone in case of an emergency, make sure to use your cell phone or a similar device without a cord. 


If you want more ways to stay safe during a storm or you want to make sure that your home is protected, a qualified electrical contractor can help. Click here to get in touch with electricians in your area today.

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