National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Heat and Fire Weather Concerns in the West; Excessive Rainfall Possible in the South-Central U.S.

Heat will build over the Intermountain West and the Southwest the next couple of days. Lightning from dry thunderstorms can create new fire starts and combined with gusty winds may cause a fire to rapidly grow in Oregon and northern California. Flash flooding will be possible in New Mexico and west Texas today, as well as parts of the southern and central Plains due to slow moving thunderstorms. Read More >

Lightning Kills!

In the U. S. Lightning kills an average of 47 people in the United States each year, and hundreds more are severely injured.

The National Weather Service urges you to seek indoor shelter when storms are approaching. This is the best advice:

When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!

The safest place to be during a thunderstorm is indoors and away from windows. You want four walls surrounding you- that means no open garages, porches, covered decks, or picnic shelters. The next best place to be is in a hard-topped vehicle with windows rolled up.

 

This website: https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning

has loads of information for everyone, including coloring pages, games, videos and graphics.

 

The National Lightning Safety Council's website has lots of great lightning safety tips.