What Should a Business Do During a Thunderstorm?

5/19/2021 (Permalink)

Thunderstorm in Cincinnati, OH.

How Thunderstorms Can Affect Your Business

When a strong thunderstorm strikes Cincinnati, OH, there are some immediate steps you should take to protect life and property. A heavy rain storm can cause flash flooding and lightning is extremely dangerous; it can strike from miles away and hit anywhere – even inside.
The statistics for lightning hits in the U.S. are alarming:

• Around 40 fatalities per year.
  
• At least 9 times as many injuries.
  
• A high rate of permanent disabilities.
  
  

Fortunately, there are proactive steps you can take to prevent injuries and reduce property damage. In some cases, you may be expected to take reasonable precautions; for instance, if a customer is injured by high winds or other storm damage on your property, you may be liable if you’re shown to be negligent.

When Should You Begin Preparations?
Right now! Make a list of steps to take to mitigate damage to your property. Start by taking care of trees outside; dead branches should be removed and live ones should be trimmed to be at least two feet away from the building.
Now is also a great time to look at your landscaping. During a rain storm, where does the water flow? If the rain is extremely heavy, will it collect in your building? With terracing and drainage planned, you can prevent all but the most extreme storms from flooding your business.
You should also make a READY profile with your local storm damage restoration experts. This will put all the info you need in a secure cloud account so you can access it with a free app.

How About During a Thunderstorm?
There’s always a risk of lightning during convective storms. However, some really stand out for their cloud-to-ground lightning strikes. When you see lots of lightning, you should move employees and customers away from windows and access a weather report either on television, the radio or your smartphone. If severe weather or a tornado is approaching, you need to get everyone to shelter immediately.
If you’re well prepared for a big rain storm, you should have no worries about flooding. Heavy lightning storms and severe weather should be considered an emergency, so being ready to act quickly could save lives.