Severe Weather: Lightning Safety/Tornado
Lightning Safety:
All thunderstorms produce lightning that can strike as far as 10 miles away from any rainfall. On average, 20% of strike victims die and 70% of survivors suffer serious long-term effects. Lightning kills more people than tornadoes do.
- Postpone activities promptly if you hear thunder and go to a safe shelter immediately. Get out of the water and don’t stand in puddles of water, even if you are wearing rubber boots.
- Sturdy buildings are the safest places to be. Avoid sheds, picnic shelters, baseball dugouts and bleachers. If no sturdy building is nearby, get in a hardtop vehicle with windows closed. The steel frame of the vehicle provides some protection if you are not touching metal.
- If you can’t get to a shelter, avoid trees. Crouch in the open, keeping twice as far away from a tree as it is tall.
- Coaches and leaders should monitor the weather during practice sessions or games.
- Avoid metal! Drop metal backpacks and stay away from clotheslines, fences, exposed sheds and electrically conductive elevated objects. Don’t hold on to metal items such as golf clubs, fishing rods, tennis rackets or tools.
- Stay several yards away from other people. Don’t share a bleacher bench or huddle in a group.
What to do if someone is struck by lightning:
- Call University Police immediately at 942-2071. Get medical attention as quickly as possible.
- Give first aid. If the victim has stopped breathing, begin rescue breathing. If the heart has stopped beating, a trained person should give CPR. If the person has a pulse and is breathing, address any other injuries.
- People struck by lightning carry no electrical charge that can shock other people. You can attend to them without risk of shock.
Severe Weather And Tornado Safety:
The City of San Angelo maintains a citywide civil defense warning siren that will be sounded in the event of a tornado warning. If severe weather is imminent and you are outdoors, move indoors as quickly as possible.
- Consider obtaining a flashlight and weather radio for your department.
- Shut off any equipment that might be affected by a temporary loss of electricity.
- Close hallway doors as you leave to shield the corridors from flying debris.
- Move to any of the designated shelters in each building. Become familiar with the location of the shelter in your building before a storm occurs.
- When you are off campus or in buildings without designated shelters, move to a small room on lower levels, an interior hallway or basement.
- Avoid upper floors, large glassed areas, auditoriums and windows.
- Stay out of parking garages, auditoriums and exterior walkways. Stay away from electrical appliances.
- Use the telephone for emergency calls ONLY.
- STAY CALM AND ALERT.
- Call University Police at 942-2071 to report any damage.
- There WILL NOT be an all clear signal from the siren system in San Angelo. It is urged that reliance be placed on the broadcast media for this and other status and forecast information.