At the first sign of lightning and thunder you know you have a thunderstorm on your hands. These storms come from cumulonimbus clouds that bring heavy rains, lightning, thunder, and sometimes hail and gusty winds. They could even create a tornado.
Each year in the U.S. about 100 people are killed in Thunderstorms. Many more people are injured by lightning than tornado and hurricanes. Once in 1985 a plane was cleared for landing. No one was aware of the stormy draft of cold dense air beneath a rather insignificant thunderstorm. As the plane started down the shear wind of the storm caught the plane and brought it down killing 132 and injuring 31. Besides killing people these storms can cause lots of damage. For example, 75,000 forest fires a year are started by thunderstorms.
After reading this information you should be scared to death of these storms, but they are not all bad. Lightning causes nitrogen in the atmosphere to be carried down by raindrops, enriching the soil. Some scientist actually believe this could be the element that started life on earth.
In case you are still frightened about all the damage and danger of these storms here is some safety advice:
Check for any dead or rotting trees near your house.
Get up-to-date information by listening to the radio and/or watching TV.
Stay away from faucets, sinks, and bath tubs, because electric current can travel through the metal water pipes.
Turn off or unplug all electrical appliances.
Stay off the telephone.
If you are outside, the safest place you can be is laying flat on the ground in the open. Remember lightning strikes the tallest objects, and never strikes the same place twice!
