Apply Storm Safety to Any Situation | SERVPRO® of Houston County

12/2/2020 (Permalink)

Have you been affected by a storm event? SERVPRO of Houston County is available 24/7 and ready to assist you with any storm damage.

When summer weather turns hot and sticky, you can be certain that summertime storms are not far behind. Storms may feel like a routine event during the summer, but thunderstorms can still cause severe damage even when they pop up briefly.

Because you never want to be caught off-guard by a storm, here are some safety tips you can use anywhere you go to stay storm-safe.

Never Be Caught Off Guard by a Summer Storm

Know your options for shelter. When you get the news that a storm is headed for your area, the best thing to do is to seek shelter in an interior room of your house that has no windows until it passes. With these sudden storms, however, this is not always an option. You can take shelter in your car if necessary, just make sure to pull over in a safe area and avoid touching metals or starting the car while the storm is near.

Practice electrical safety. The electrical wiring in a building offers a great vessel for lightning to travel through when it strikes, which can harm electronics and cause fire-starting sparks as well. It is recommended to always use surge protectors on each outlet to lower the risk of this, and if you have time, unplug everything in your home or office before a storm arrives.

Avoid direct contact with concrete. While the structural integrity of concrete structures is unrivaled, they actually are not the safest structure for storms with thunder and lightning. Concrete is typically reinforced with metal rods, and if lightning strikes, these rods can disburse electrical charge throughout the concrete. Sitting on a concrete floor or leaning against a concrete wall can put you at risk for electric shock if storms are nearby.

Stay indoors for at least 30 minutes. While it may feel like summer thunderstorms are over as quickly as they begin, that is not always the case. Lightning strikes can travel across 25 miles and strike a ways away from the center of the storm, so consider setting a timer after the last thunder clap for a half hour to be on the safe side.

If your home sustains damage due to a storm, you can count on us to help. Contact us at any hour to learn more about our storm restoration process.