SAFETY

BEING AWARE OF IMPENDING SEVERE WEATHER IS A SKILL YOU'LL WANT TO DEVELOP.



Learning to recognize when severe weather is on its way could save your day...or your life. Awareness will help you plan what you'll do so you can be ready to act when it approaches. Your safety, and the safety of those in your care, is up to you.

Planning ahead can make all the difference when seconds count. Some things that should be done well in advance are similar for several types of weather emergencies, such as making an emergency supply kit and developing emergency actions.

• Why worry about thunderstorms?

Lightning causes an average of 55-60 fatalities and 400 injuries each year, most of them in males under age 40. Outside, there is no safe place to be during a thunderstorm because there will be lightning. Note that many wildfires in the western United States and Alaska are ignited by lightning.

• You should worry about tornadoes

Earth's fiercest winds are found in the heart of a strong tornado. They can destroy houses, hurl cars hundreds of feet, and take the life of anyone caught in their path. Each year hundreds of tornadoes strike the United States, more than in any other nation of the world. They cause an average of 60-65 fatalities, 1,500 injuries each year, and can produce wind speeds in excess of 200 mph. They can be a mile wide and stay on the ground for over 50 miles. Seek shelter immediately. Never shelter under an overpass.

• Straight line winds are dangerous

They can exceed 125 mph and cause destruction equal to some tornadoes. They're extremely dangerous to aviation. They cause trees to be uprooted, and could knock you down if you're on foot. Stay inside your home.

• Flash floods are deadly

They are the number one cause of deaths associated with cloud burst rains and thunderstorms causing 90 fatalities each year. Many fatalities are people in cars. Never drive over a flooded road or bridge. Back up and take a different route. Just two feet of moving water can sweep a car away. If your vehicle is surrounded by water abandon it immediately and seek higher ground.



IT'S A TRAFFIC FACT: MORE PEDESTRIANS ARE BEING HIT BY CARS. HERE'S WHY.

  • They are listening to music. Hearing is as important as seeing. Listening to music makes it impossible to hear an oncoming vehicle. Researchers at the University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital say music listeners crossed intersections faster than others with electronic devices, but they didn't watch for cars and couldn't hear them.


  • They are texting. Walkers who are texting may be at most risk. This fact is in line with several studies. Texters also walked slower than everyone else including those talking on cell phones. Texters were four times less likely to follow safety rules including looking both ways, staying on the crosswalk and obeying traffic signals.


  • They are talking on the phone. Pedestrians who were talking on cell phones, browsing the Internet, or even talking to someone next to them all increased their risk of injury. Most of the distracted walkers in the studies were adults, but one researcher says it's important for parents to tell their children to put their cell phones down when walking.

 


© 2013 TLC Magazine Online, Inc.