Pull safely onto the
shoulder of the road and stop, making sure you are away from any
trees or other tall objects that could fall on the vehicle. Stay
in the car and turn on the emergency flashers until the heavy
rains subside. Heavy rains produced by thunderstorms can
greatly reduce visibility. Vehicles will provide better protection
from lightning than being out in the open. Emergency flashers will
alert other drivers with limited visibility that you have stopped.
Keep car windows closed.
Avoid contact with metal
or conducting surfaces outside or inside the vehicle.
Lightning that strikes nearby can travel through wet ground to
your car. The steel frame of a hard-topped vehicle provides
increased protection if you are not touching metal. Rubber tires
provide no protection from lightning. Avoid contact with potential
conductors to reduce your chance of being shocked. Although you
may be injured if lightning strikes your car, you are much safer
inside a vehicle than outside.
Avoid flooded roadways.
Most flood fatalities are caused by people attempting to drive
through water, or people playing in high water. The depth of water
is not always obvious. The roadbed may be washed out under the
water, and you could be stranded or trapped. Rapidly rising water
may stall the engine, engulf the vehicle and its occupants, and
sweep them away. Look out for flooding at highway dips, bridges,
and low areas. Two feet of water will carry away most automobiles.