Before a Thunderstorm
Be Weather-Ready: Check the forecast regularly to see if you’re at risk for severe weather. Listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio to stay informed about severe thunderstorm watches and warnings. Check the Weather-Ready Nation for tips.
Sign Up for Notifications: Know how your community sends warnings. While some communities may have outdoor sirens, most depend on media and smartphones to alert residents to severe storms.
Create a Communications Plan: Have a family plan that includes an emergency meeting place and related information. Pick a safe room in your home such as a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows. Get more ideas for a plan at Ready.gov/plan.
Practice Your Plan: Conduct a family severe thunderstorm drill regularly so everyone knows what to do if damaging wind, large hail or lightning strikes are approaching. Make sure all members of your family know to go to your emergency meeting place when severe thunderstorm warnings are issues. Collect your pets if time allows.
Prepare Your Home: Keep trees and branches trimmed near your house. If you have time before severe weather hits, secure loose objects, close windows and doors, and move any valuable objects inside or under a sturdy structure.
Take CPR / First Aid training so you can help if someone is hurt during severe weather.
During a Thunderstorm
Stay Weather Ready: Continue to listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio to stay updated about severe thunderstorm watches and warnings.
At Your Home: Go to your secure location if you hear a severe thunderstorm warning. Damaging wind, large hail or lightning strikes may be approaching. Take your pets with you if time allows.
At Your Workplace or School: Stay away from windows if you are in a severe thunderstorm warning and damaging wind, large hail or lightning strikes are approaching. Do not go to large open rooms such as cafeterias, gymnasiums or auditoriums.
Outside: Go inside a sturdy building immediately if severe thunderstorms are approaching. Sheds are not safe. Taking shelter under a tree can be deadly as the tree may fall on you. Standing under a tree also puts you at a greater risk of getting struck by lightning.
In a Vehicle: Being in a vehicle during severe thunderstorms is safer than being outside; however, drive to the closest secure shelter if there is time.
Indoors During a Thunderstorm
Stay away from anything plugged into an outlet: TVs, computers, corded phones, kitchen appliances, etc. Do not attempt to unplug such a device during an active lightning storm. It’s okay to use a remote control or mobile phone.
Stay away from plumbing as electricity can travel along pipes and fittings. Don’t take a shower or run a faucet.
Stay away from windows and exterior doors.
Don’t lie on a concrete floor or lean against a concrete wall, as there are metal bars inside those surfaces.
Bring pets inside. Doghouses and hutches are not adequate protection from lightning, and proximity to metal fences and chains is a risk factor.
Outdoors During a Thunderstorm
Do not be in an open field or on a hilltop or ridge top. Keep moving toward shelter.
Stay away from water and metal objects (fences, cables, railroad tracks), as they are good conductors of electricity.
If you’re in a group, stay 20 feet away from each other as you move toward safety. Though this dispersal increases the chance of somebody being struck, it reduces the chance of multiple injuries.
A metal-roofed vehicle is a relatively safe shelter. Once you’re inside, roll up the windows and do not lean against the doors or inside walls.
Never lie flat on the ground.
After a Thunderstorm
Stay Informed: Continue listening to local news or a NOAA Weather radio to stay updated about severe thunderstorm watches and warnings. More severe thunderstorms could be headed your way.
Contact Your Family and Loved Ones: Let your family and close friends know that you’re okay so they can help spread the word. Test messages or social media are more reliable forms of communication than phone calls.
Assess the Damage: After you are sure the severe weather threat has ended, check your property for damages. When walking through storm damage, wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and sturdy shoes. Contact local authorities if you see downed power lines. Stay out of damaged buildings. Be aware of insurance and construction scammers if your property has been damaged.
Help your Neighbor: If you come across injured people and you are properly trained and willing, provide first aid to victims until emergency responders arrive.
