National Lightning Safety Awareness Week Rolls On

This seems like a relatively appropriate time to blog about lightning, considering the thunder rumbling outside our 786 Delaware Avenue headquarters as I type this. It's even more appropriate since this storm is taking place in the middle of National Lightning Safety Awareness week!

According to the National Weather Service, there have been seven lightning fatalities nationally already this year. Since 1996, there have been 32 documented injuries in Western New York, including seven each in Erie and Niagara Counties. So if thunder roars, go indoors!

Thunderstorms can also cause power outages and flooding. In fact, all of WNY is currently under a Flood Watch because of our current storms. Now would probably be a good time to review these thunderstorm and flooding safety tips to make sure you're prepared. You can also download the FREE Red Cross Hurricane App for iPhone and Android and receive NOAA weather alerts so you'll always know what's coming our way.

April Showers Bring Weather Warnings

We're getting some really interesting weather in Western New York right now. You can hear the rain pouring down and the thunder booming in downtown Buffalo at the moment. A Flood Watch has been issued starting at 7pm, and there's even a Freezing Rain advisory issued for 2am-11pm Thursday. This has the potential to be our first big spring storm, so make sure you are prepared.

Volunteer Diane Sargent looking over
flooded areas while deployed to Florida
in 2012

Flooding can happen quickly, and just six inches of swiftly moving water can sweep you of your feet! Freezing rain means ice spots on the road, which could make travel difficult. If we get more than more ice than expected it could bring down trees and power lines, which of course could cause widespread power outages, as could the lightning we've been seeing.

Now's the time to follow our three steps to disaster preparedness--get a kit, make a plan, be informed. Take a moment to read these safety checklists and make sure you're ready, then monitor local media for updates. Hopefully you won't need your disaster kit this time, but it's better to be safe than sorry!