Thunderstorms and Lightning Storms
Most of the time, thunderstorms give notice of their impending arrival
with dark, threatening clouds and distant lightning and thunder. You can
estimate your distance from an approaching thunderstorm by counting
the number of seconds that elapse between a flash of lightning and the
next clap of thunder. Divide this number by five and you have a rough idea
of how many miles away the storm is.
All thunderstorms are accompanied by lightning, which is one of the
primary risks of being outside in a survival situation when one hits. The
best thing you can do during a thunderstorm is hunker down and hope
your shelter is strong enough to withstand the onslaught. If you do get
caught outside, avoid natural lightning rods such as tall, isolated trees in
open areas; stay away from hilltops and other high, exposed places. And
remember that dead or rotting trees and branches can fall during severe
thunderstorms.
At one point while living in the boreal forest for a year, my wife, Sue,
and I were holed up in our tipi during an intense storm. The wind was so
strong that our tiny lake even had whitecaps on it. That’s when we noticed
that the tree we had built our shelter beside had nearly blown over. Had it
done so, the entire root system would have lifted up right in the middle of
our shelter and ripped it apart. We were also worried about lightning strik
ing the tree. Our poor location choice for the shelter, made on an earlier,
sunny day, resulted in our holding on to our walls and our wits that day
and waiting out a potentially devastating storm. We got lucky, that time.
Blizzards and Wind Chill
Never go out in whiteout conditions, when you can’t see more than a few feet
in front of you! If you have no choice but to do so, make sure you layer your
clothing so that you can remove items as you warm up. Try not to sweat pro
fusely, as this will only soak your clothes and make you even colder.
Wind chill can often accompany a blizzard, though not necessar
ily. Wind chill is a calculation of how cold it feels based on temperature
and wind speed. If the temperature is extremely cold and there is a steady
wind, stay inside. Wind chill is the culprit in most cases of frostbite or
hypothermia.
(^282) | Survive!