Today’s long run was a little too…um…electrifying for my taste. We’ve been experiencing extreme heat, humidity and thunderstorms du jour here in the Midwest lately and no surprise, more of the same was forecast for today. I watched the forecast closely and plotted a window of time to sneak in 13 miles before the skies opened yet again.
Wow it was humid. Been there done that, almost every freaking day for 2 weeks and counting. But I slogged on. Around mile 10 the skies grew more ominous.
At mile 11 my phone rang, Thing 1 couldn’t find her bathing suit. I walked while I spoke to her.
At mile 12 I could hear the thunder. Crappy McCrap Crap. Skies grew blacker by the second. The heavens flashed with lightning. I heard the take-cover siren coming from the golf course. One more mile to make it home.
Surely Modern Caveman would come to get me? Or at least call? I didn’t want to stop long enough to call him. Is it ok to even be on a cell phone in a storm? Fat drops of rain pelted me. What is the official protocol if caught in a thunderstorm?
I considered lying in a ditch….but that’s for a tornado right? My mind raced.
Will my rubber shoes ground me? Being sweat-soaked cannot be good. I probably don’t wanna hang out under a tree…but being out in the open can’t be good either. So I kept on going. Fast. I clocked a 7:16 final mile. It was eerie and scary but I went on. Just as I turned onto my street The Caveman was pulling out to come find me. Phew, thankfully today was not ‘that’ day.
I contacted The National Weather Service for some safety guidelines, in case any of us finds ourselves in this potentially deadly situation:
Lightning kills 55% more Americans than tornadoes do and 41% more than hurricanes.
It travels 33,000 times faster than a bullet
It may contain 100 million volts
If caught in a thunderstorm:
Avoid open spaces and hilltops
Avoid trees
Avoid metal objects
If possible, take shelter in an enclosed building away from windows or a vehicle with windows shut
If no shelter is available:
Crouch down in the lowest possible spot.
Roll in a ball but do not lie down.
Minimize contact with the ground.
If you’re with others, do not huddle together. Space yourselves 15ft. apart.
Forget about counting the seconds between when you hear thunder and see lightning. If you hear or see either, you need to seek shelter immediately.
