What to do during a storm, hurricane wind, downpour, and hail? bad weather safety rules

You will not be “bored” by the weather conditions in Moscow this summer: when the thermometer rises above 30, the abnormal temperature is replaced by heavy rains with stormy and strong winds on the same day, and then back with a scorching sun. If the best protection against the latter is a cream with mandatory SPF, then the jars will not save you from stormy winds. And if you skip the jokes, knowing the basics of safety and procedures in natural emergencies is especially important now – for your own health and the health of your loved ones. Which rules must be followed? Let’s talk!

What to do during a storm?

1. Don’t hide under a tree – tall objects are more often struck by lightning, so it’s best to go a distance that’s about twice their height. Especially you should not hide near pines, oaks and poplars.

2. Do not go inside the reservoir and also avoid being on the shore and descend from a high place to a plain.

3. Do not lie on the ground in the field, on the steppe or when there is no shelter – this way you expose your whole body to an electric current. Instead, you must squat in a hollow, ravine, or other natural depression (called the “fetal position”), grasping your legs with your hands.

4. If a storm has caught you in the car, do not leave the car while closing the windows and lowering the radio antenna.

5. Close windows, doors, chimneys and vents when in rural areas. Do not melt the stove, do not talk on the phone, do not approach electrical wires, lightning rods, roof drains, antennas, do not stand near windows, if possible, turn off TV, radio and other electrical appliances.

6. Do not touch metal objects and also take them out of your pocket.

7. Do not use umbrellas, do not hold fishing rods, golf clubs, baseball bats, rakes, shovels, pitchforks, weapons – these items literally attract lightning.

8. When you are at home, turn off electrical appliances and gas, do not look out the window, do not light a fire in the stove or fireplace.

What to do in a hurricane?

1. When in a building, stay away from windows and take a safe place against interior walls, hallways, closets, bathrooms, toilets, pantry, solid closets, under desks. Put out the fire in the stoves, turn off the electricity, turn off the taps in the gas networks.

2. Use lanterns, lamps, candles at night, if possible, in a dilapidated bunker, shelters, cellars, etc.

3. Avoid light structures, buildings, bridges, overpasses, power lines, trees, rivers, lakes and industrial facilities as much as possible on the streets of a residential area.

4. To protect against flying debris and shards of glass, use plywood sheets, cardboard and plastic boxes, boards and other improvised means.

5. In residential basements, cellars, and radiation shielding shelters, try to quickly take cover. Do not enter damaged buildings.

6. Cover your face with gauze, a scarf, a piece of cloth and your eyes with glasses during a dust storm.

7. When in the open area, at the bottom of the road hole, potholes, ditches, narrow valleys, take cover by pressing firmly on the ground, covering your head with clothing or tree branches.

8. Do not stay in the car.

9. When you are at home, move the inner room away from windows, close all windows, doors, lofts, remove from balconies and porches everything that a hurricane can blow, turn off the gas, prepare lanterns, candles, lamps.

What to do in case of rain and hail?

1. If a downpour on the street has caught you, do not go down to underground passages and other burial rooms, but try to hide in buildings located above the possible flood level.

2. While in the car, do not try to overcome flooded areas. Move slowly to the rightmost lane (to the roadside) and stop moving without applying the emergency brake. Dodge the downpour by turning on your emergency lights. In the event of a flash of water, leave the vehicle and go to an elevated area or nearest building.

3. Try to choose a shelter when you are outside in the hail and if this is not possible, protect your head from blows with your hands, bag, and clothes.

4. When driving under hail, stop moving and try to stay away from windows. It is recommended to turn your back on them (facing the middle of the cabin) and cover your eyes with your hands or clothes. If you have small children with you, you should cover them with your body and your eyes with your clothes or hands. If the dimensions of the cabinet allow, it is best to lie on the floor.

5. Do not hide under trees – not only can lightning strike them, but also large hailstones can break tree branches.

Based on the recommendations of the Ministry of Emergencies of Russia.