The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office distributed safety tips during thunderstorms, particularly for safety involving lightning in light of the recent lightning strikes throughout the county.

“We have already seen this year a number of serious injuries and fatality caused by lightning strikes in metro-Atlanta and throughout Georgia,” said Cpl. Brandon Gurley.

Nothing can reduce the risk of an actual lightning strike being outside in a thunderstorm. A building is the best safety option with a fully enclosed with a roof, walls and floor, and has plumbing or wiring. Examples of such include a home, school, church, hotel, office building or shopping center. Unsafe buildings include car ports, open garages, covered patios, picnic shelters, beach pavilions, tents of any kind, baseball dugouts, and sheds.

Should lightning directly strike a building with electricity and/or plumbing, the dangerous electrical current from the flash will typically travel through the wiring and/or plumbing, and then into the ground. It is should stay away from items that can be electric conductors such as showers, sinks, televisions, corded telephones and computers. Vehicles can be used as refuge in a storm as well.

A safe vehicle is any fully enclosed metal topped vehicle such as a hard topped car, minivan, bus, truck, etc. Avoid using unsafe vehicles such as convertibles, golf carts, riding mowers, open cab construction equipment and boats without cabins. If you drive into a thunderstorm, slow down and use extra caution. If possible, pull off the road into a safe area.

Most importantly, stay away from high points or anything that will act as a conductor. Tall or isolated trees, water, telephone poles, or metal structures can all attract lightning strikes. Avoid open areas, where you serve as the tallest object around. Your best bet if you are unable to take shelter indoors is to find a depression or other low point where you can crouch in “lightning position”. Lightning position involves crouching with your feet planted squarely on the ground, with your head lower than your shoulders.

In the event of a strike, it’s important to be prepared for significant injuries of almost any type. If you see someone struck by lightning, it’s absolutely imperative to check their heartbeat and breathing immediately. CPR has a phenomenal success rate among lightning victims. In cases of lighting injury, CPR can have success rates of up to 90 percent.

Information: Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, 770-443-3010.