Thunderstorm weather may cause some high-voltage or low-voltage power supply lines to break, as well as short circuits and discharge of power supply equipment. If traveling or staying outdoors in such weather, it is necessary to pay attention to preventing electric shock.
Lightning strike
Lightning stroke is a common rainstorm weather disaster, which often occurs in places with more outdoor activities and is not easily taken seriously by people, but its destructive effect is huge. Some people also died as a result of this disaster.
How to avoid outdoor lightning strikes
1. When encountering sudden thunderstorms, you can squat down, lower your height, and bring your feet together to reduce the harm caused by stepping voltage.
2. Don’t take shelter from the rain under big trees.
3. Do not stay near water bodies (rivers, lakes, seas, ponds, canals, etc.), depressions, mountain tops, or rooftops.
4. Do not hold metal objects or make phone calls.
5. Do not touch or approach the lightning protection grounding wire, the grounding wire of water pipes and electrical appliances.
How to prevent indoor lightning strikes
1. When thunder strikes, the first thing to do is to close the doors and windows, leave the metal water pipes entering the house, and the drainage pipes connected to the roof.
2. Try not to make or answer calls, or use the phone to access the internet. unplug the power supply, telephone lines, TV antennas, and other metal wires that may introduce lightning strikes. A safe and scientific approach is to install lightning arresters on the power line and ensure proper grounding.
3. Do not use a solar water heater to take a shower in thunderstorm weather.
Electric shock
Thunderstorm weather may cause some high-voltage or low-voltage power supply lines to break, as well as short circuits and discharge of power supply equipment. If traveling or staying outdoors in such weather, it is necessary to pay attention to preventing electric shock.
1. Do not approach overhead power lines and transformers, and do not take shelter under them from rain.
2. Do not stay or take shelter under tall trees or large billboards that are close to the power supply line.
3. When walking outdoors, try to avoid the diagonal iron wires of power poles as much as possible.
4. After the rainstorm, there may be ponding on the pavement in some places. It is best not to wade through the water at this time. If it is necessary to wade through the water, be sure to observe at any time whether there are any broken wires or accumulated water near the road section you are passing through.
5. If it is found that the power supply line is broken and charged in the water due to accumulated water, do not handle it on your own. Mark the surroundings immediately, remind other pedestrians not to approach, and call the power supply department in a timely manner to urgently handle the situation.
6. Once someone is found to have fallen to the ground due to electric shock in water, do not rush to approach and assist. Emergency measures must be taken before rescuing the person who has been electrocuted.
7. If the power line happens to break and fall on the ground very close to you, then first of all, don’t panic, let alone run away. At this point, one should jump off the scene with one leg, otherwise it is likely to cause electric shock to the person under the action of step voltage.
drowning
Rainstorm weather may lead to large areas of ponding and mountain torrents. In this rainstorm disaster, there are also victims who drown due to being trapped in vehicles. So, how to deal with various drowning situations?
If you’re not very good at swimming
When drowning occurs and one is not familiar with the nature of the water, self rescue methods can be adopted: in addition to calling for help, take a supine position with the head facing back, so that the nose can breathe above the water surface. Exhale shallowly and inhale deeply. Don’t panic at this time, don’t lift your arms up and down randomly, and let your body sink faster.
If trapped in the water inside the car
1. Unfasten the seat belt, unlock the car door safety lock, immediately fully open the car window, calm down, and take a deep breath. After the vehicle enters the water, water will quickly rush into the car, and at this time, the water pressure is very high, making it difficult for people inside the car to open the car door and escape. Only when the car is filled with water and the pressure on both sides of the door is equal, can the door be opened.
2. If the window is not opened in a timely manner, a broken window hammer can be used to break the window glass, allowing water to enter the car as soon as possible and increasing the chances of escape. In addition, it is important to note that methods such as forceful kicking, holding the key, and smashing with a phone cannot effectively break the glass.
3. After opening the car door, swim aside as soon as possible.
If you experience cramps during evacuation
If you experience cramps in the water, do not panic. Keep calm, stop swimming, float on your back to the surface, and use different methods for self rescue according to different parts. Place the body in a supine position, hold the toes of the cramped leg with your hand, pull upwards with force to straighten the cramped leg, and use the other leg to step in the water while the other hand paddles to help the body float.
Flash flood
Rainstorm may also lead to flash floods. In this case, the following points should be noted.
1. Stay calm and move up or higher as soon as possible.
2. Do not run along the direction of the spillway, but quickly dodge on both sides.
3. Don’t easily wade across the river.
4. If trapped in the mountains due to flash floods, timely contact with relevant local departments or send out distress signals to seek rescue.