Rainy Season and Escape from Lightening Strike

Rainy Season and Escape From Lightening Strike

In South Asia, rainy season or Monsoon has started and these days many incidents occur. Due to negligence of people, they loose their life. One thing should be remembered by everyone that when it is rainy season or severe weather in normal days, seek shelter instead of staying outside.

30-30 Rule

If you see lightening, count the time till the roar of the thunder is heard. If the time between lightening and thunder roar is 30 second or less, seek shelter immediately because the thunderstorm is close enough to be dangerous. 

If you haven't seen lightening after first one, wait for 30 minutes before leaving the shelter. Many deaths occur even after the storm has passed. 

Protection Against Lightening Strike

Lightening Strike can be avoided by adopting few simple steps. These steps vary according to the location whether you are indoor or outdoor. 

	Outdoor Safety Measures	Indoor Safety Measures
Do	Be aware of the weather forecast. If there is any chance of thunderstorm, avoid all outdoor activities and trips. Seek shelter and ensure readily available shelter is available. Shelter includes, offices, buildings, homes, hard-top car with windows rolled up. If you are caught outdoor and there is no shelter nearby, keep yourself close to ground by getting off elevated areas, hills, ridges etc. Never shelter under an isolated tree. Never lie flat on the ground. Crouch down, tuck your head and keep hands on ears and move forward. Get out of ponds, lakes, pools and go indoor. Stay away from metal bodies and objects that conduct electricity. If you are in group, separate and maintain distance. It will reduce the injuries severity.	Stay Indoor when it is severe weather outdoor. Follow 30 – 30 rule and ensure you get out of shelter when the weather is clear.
Don’t	Don’t stay in the open surface vehicles and spaces. Don’t lie on the concrete floor or lean against concrete wall. Lightening can travel through any metal to concrete wall or floor.	Avoid water. Don’t wash any kind of dishes, don’t take bath or any other activity which involves water usage. The lightening can travel through the plumbing service of a building. Don’t use any electronic equipment and tools. The electricity can travel trough it and you can be electrocuted. Avoid concrete walls because the electricity can travel through metal bars, or any thing metal object and electric shock is possible. Don’t use corded phones. Use of cordless and cellular phones during thunderstorm is safe. Avoid touch or standing nearby windows, doors, stairs because electricity can pass through these conducting metals.

The below picture indicates how to move towards shelter if you are caught outside and keeping yourself close to ground to reduce the risk of lightening strike. 

Medical Assistance & First Aid for Lightening Victims

If there is someone who has been struck by lightening, adopt 4 step strategy to save his life.

The main aim of First Aid is;

- Prevent Deterioration

- Promote Recovery 

- Save Life

Call for Help

Immediately inform the emergency services and share all details like type of casualty, home #, address and current state of patient. 

Situation Assessment

Before starting any rescue assess the situation. The victim can be in danger zone despite getting hit by the lightening. The rescuer can get victim too. Assess the situation and remove the victim from danger zone. Any action can put the lives of the victim and rescuer in danger. 

Respond 

Once the victim has been removed and is in safe location, check if the victim if ok, breathing or not. Mostly, lightening causes heart attack. This can be checked by feeling the pulse of Carotid Artery which is found on our neck right under the jaw. 

Checking Pulse by Inspecting Carotid Artery

Resuscitate 

If the patient is not breathing, immediately start mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to restore his internal respiration. If the patient doesn't have pulse, start the Cardiac Compression. Keep Resuscitate and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) going on, until the help arrives. Keep in mind, the victim lying on the ground can lead to hypothermia if the area is hot or cold. Put a layer of clothes between ground and victim as protective layer. 

Mouth-To-Mouth Resuscitation

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation - CPR