BOISE, Idaho —
Nature is capable of spectacular fireworks. Idaho can see anywhere from 9 to 36 days with thunderstorms a year. However, lightning has the ability to turn an everyday thunderstorm into a potential killer.
Idaho has all four seasons, and most of us love going outdoors to play. But sometimes there can be dangerous situations in the forecast, situations that can leave a lifelong impact.
In 2007, Lara Eustermann was looking at houses in Hidden Springs with her mother and two of her sons when they were all knocked to the ground by a lightning strike. Eustermann was hit directly by the lightning strike.
"Going from regular daily life to all of a sudden waking up and you can't move and it's hard to breathe,” said Eustermann. “I was in the rehabilitation hospital just trying to wrap my brain around what had happened and how if I was going to regain my thought processes, my physical abilities, all of that stuff.”
So, if there is a storm on the way and people are debating whether or not to go inside, Eustermann says it’s better to just play it safe.
“Don't test Mother Nature. She's not very forgiving,” Eustermann said. “I mean, it seems like a silly thing to you know, look up in the sky or hear thunder in the distance and indoors. But whatever it is you were planning on doing. Just don't test it. The storm will pass and you can go out and continue.”
The key to staying safe with lightning is recognizing the danger and avoiding it. If you hear thunder, go inside, preferably a sturdy building. But if you are outside and a thunderstorm rolls overhead, what can you do?
- Get out of a swimming pool, any other body of water.
- Don’t go to the top of a hill or elevated area. Lightning tends to strike the highest point.
- If there is no building around get in a car
- Don’t stand under an isolated tree or lay on the ground
- Crouch down in a ball with your head tucked and hands over your ears.
Remember, weather forecasts are not just for recreation, they can also serve as a warning to protect the public.
Be careful this spring, we will get our share of thunderstorms, and with them, the danger of lightning.
Overall, if you hear thunder, lightning is nearby and close enough to strike. So “When thunder roars, go indoors!”
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