How to protect yourself from Lightning Strikes?

Firstly as I sit here and write this blog post I want to thank God for blessing me with another day. As words from Casting Crowns song “Praise You in this storm” comes to mind.

I was sure by now God you would have reached down and wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day. But once again, I say amen that it's still raining as the thunder rolls. I barely hear your whisper through the rain I'm with you and as your mercy falls I raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away.

Yes it is by the grace of God that I am here, to praise Him for another day, Amen.

The chances of being hit by lightning is 1 in 600,000 but it doesn’t help if you outside on your bike when it happens. The chances of surviving a lightning strike is next to nothing and only by the Grace of God. Rubber tyres won’t stop a lightning strike. In a car you are surrounded by a faraday cage and the lightning goes around along the metal towards the ground but if you are caught out in the open on foot or on a bike, nothing can protect you so the safest thing to do is run.

So what are the signs that lightning is about to strike? The warning signs that lightning is about to strike near you:

• Crackling sound as metal objects around you start buzzing
• Metallic taste in your mouth
• Smell of chlorine in the air
• Your hair starts standing on end
• Your skin tingles

Okay it might be too late by now, RUN Forest Run if you haven’t started already.

So now for the reason of this blog post. I had an appointment with a friend after work that has being postponed already and by the time I left work on my Vespa I noticed a storm in the direction that I was to take. Not too keen on getting wet but also I did not want to postpone yet again, I set out.

As I was approaching my turn off, I saw that the storm was over the area I was headed and that my home was clear. I watched as I saw ground strikes in front of the storm and decided rather to head home and swop my bike for the pickup.

Before home I saw the storm was headed straight for me and by the last stretch home, the storm was on the opposite side of the valley, less than a kilometre away and I started to pray as I raced for the safety of my home.

Rain started to fall as I reached the first gate at the top of my property. It was then that I started getting the imminent lightning strike warning signs. The palisade fence started crackling as static started to jump from post to post towards me. I fumbled for the remote to open the gates and garage as I prayed to my God for safety.

Lightning did strike the ground very close and tripped the electrical distribution box of our cottage but I was safe by that time.

I will say it again that it is only by the grace of God that I am here, to praise Him for another day, Amen.