Every year, around 100 people in the U.S. alone die from lightning strikes and flood-related incidents. That’s not counting the hundreds more who suffer life-altering injuries. Yet, despite warnings, people still venture outside during thunderstorms, as if defying nature earns bravery points.
Let’s be clear: thunderstorms aren’t entertainment. Lightning can strike from kilometres away — even under blue skies. It doesn’t care if you’re holding a metal golf club or just enjoying the rain. And if that storm delivers a torrential downpour? Avoid rivers, creeks, and flooded roads.
Every time someone drives into a swollen river or decides to swim in floodwater, they gamble with their lives — and those of the emergency responders who might be forced to pull them out. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Water that looks shallow can sweep a car away in seconds.
These tragedies are almost always avoidable. A little patience, a short delay, or simply staying inside until the storm passes can make all the difference.
It might feel exhilarating to challenge the elements, but there’s no glory in becoming a statistic. Thunderstorms demand respect. If not for your own life, then for the lives of those who might risk theirs trying to save you.
Stay dry. Stay smart. Stay alive.
-M (Author of SEETHINGS, downloadable and free for a limited time)
Discover more from Michael Forman – Author of Dark Fiction & Drama
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