LIGHTNING SAFETY

LIGHTNING SAFETY

                Few days ago while my nine year old son was talking to his dad and I while it rained, there and then, I remembered those days I grew up in mushin, Idi-oparun to be precise and we had no running portable water in our house, hence, we had two plastic drums (you know all those thick blue drums) of 200 liters each that my elder sister and I used to go and fetch water into, down our street or some two-three streets away. One of the drums was dedicated for cooking and doing the dishes so it was placed by our kitchen door away from the sun to prevent contamination while the second one is for bathing, laundry and sanitary uses.

There again, I remembered how my sister and I used to harvest rainwater for our home use anytime it rained and thereby enjoyed bathing in the rain, 70s, 80s, and some 90s, kids would remember the fun we had bathing in the rain. So, I told my son that I would want him to experience the fun in bathing in the rain someday and he was so elated and looked forward to it.

Fast Forward to some days later, when it started drizzling, my son asked for permission to go take a bath and I said “no, this isn’t the kind of rain we used to bath in”. while waiting for the type of rain we enjoyed to fall, my kids and I decided to go visit their grandparents and during our stay, the rain decided to pour again,my son came to ask me for permission to go in the rain in the presence of my mum because he knows my mum will oblige him, then my mum asked me if was true and I said yes and she further asked why and I said “just for him to experience the fun”. She wasn’t in total support but she gave her concerns which are, for her grandson or any of her grandchildren to bath in the rain, such rain must be without lightning or thunderstorm, it must be a clean rainwater, he mustn’t be under any form of electric cable/wire, and the likes of which I agreed. If given the chance, my mum will object to such fun totally but grandparents, what they did to us their children and they can’t do to their grandchildren.

To God be the glory, rain finally came but still not the type I want but my son insisted and wouldn’t allow me rest, so I gave him the go-ahead. He was so happy that he started dancing in the rain. Few minutes later I told him to come in, that he has had enough of the rain bath for the day and hours later, the rain stopped and off we went to my mum’s place. Over at my mum’s place again, mr rain came again and little mister insisted on going for a second round of rain bath which he was granted that his sisters too wanted to join him but I refused because they just had their hair plaited in two-hand African style.

Consequently, my dad got to know about our rainbath and the conditions attached to it and in addition to the condition his wife already gave, lol, he forwarded a lighting safety video to me.

So, here are the safety measures/precautions I deduced from the video, which are to be taken when it rains or if you want your kids to have that rain bath experience.

1. avoid open space such as parks, bikes, open car/vehicle
2. stay at home or under a building or find a safe place and do not come out .
3. if inside a car or bus, safely shut the doors and the windows to maintain safety. (don not open them)
4. do not take shelter in parks, under tall trees, or on elevated lands.
5. the use of an umbrella is not a guarantee to safety as the tips can conduct electricity.
6. stay away from poles of any kind
7. if in a forest, stay away from tall trees and take shelter under a short tree.
8. if in an open field where there is no shelter, squat on the ground with your head resting on your two hands crossed over your knees.
9. while at home, avoid contact with telephone cords, electric cables/wires or metal pipes. the use of a mobile phone is safe.
10. avoid taking a bath during lightning or thunderstorm as your body can be charged .
11. avoid any interaction with electrical appliances. 

Guess what peeps, the main rain came before we left my parents house (the third rain) of the day and my son said “yeah, this is the type you talked about, that one that each drop is so thick and looks like cane. He asked asked for permission again to go into the rain, you already know my response………. I objected, point blank!

 

Stay safe everyone!

Take caution against lightning when it rains.