TAKE CHARGE OF LIGHTNING

Each year lightning claims an average of 62 lives in the United States. This week is Lightning Safety Awareness week and OEM reminds New Yorkers to take steps to keep safe indoors as well as out.

• Avoid bathing, washing dishes, or running water for any reason during a thunderstorm as lightning can travel through metal pipes and into the home.
  
• Unplug major appliances to protect them from power surges.
  
• Avoid landline telephones as these lines may also serve as conductors for lightning.

• Visit the National Weather Service's Lightning Awareness Week homepage
• Read more of OEM tips about preparing for thunderstorms
• Read the Tip of the Week online

MEDICAL PROBLEMS RISE AS TEMPERATURES DO

Summer heat can complicate certain medical conditions. When it is hot out, people who suffer from chronic diseases, such as diabetes, kidney disease, and heart disease, should avoid strenuous outdoor activity and stay hydrated.

If you take prescription medication, ask your doctor about possible complications from high temperatures and sun exposure. Tricyclic antidepressants, major tranquillizers, some drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease, amphetamines, and antihistamines increase the risk of heat illness.

• Get more information about heat illness from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
• Download Ready New York's Beat the Heat guide
• Read the Tip of the Week online

DAYS OF THUNDER ARE HERE

As summer approaches, OEM reminds New Yorkers to prepare for thunderstorms. Every thunderstorm produces lightning, which kills more people each year than tornadoes. Remember the following tips to stay safe during a thunderstorm:

• Stay indoors. Postpone outdoor activities if thunderstorms are imminent.
  
• If you are caught outside in a thunderstrom and there is no shelter, squat low to the ground. Place your hands on your knees with your head between them. Do not lie flat on the ground.
  
• Remember the 30/30 Rule. If you see lightning, count the seconds before you hear thunder. If it's less than 30 seconds, take cover. Once indoors, wait 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder before venturing back out.
  

• Get more thunderstorm safety tips
• Read the Tip of the Week online

GET A GRIP, AVOID THE RIP

June 3 - 9 is Rip Current Awareness Week and OEM encourages New Yorkers to be aware of rip current dangers. Rip currents are the most common cause of beach injuries. Swimmers, surfers, and even those who wade in the water can become victim to the "grip of the rip." Such currents can occur at any beach where there are breaking waves.

Look for signs of dangerous rip currents:

• Choppy water
  
• An area of discoloration in the water
  
• A line of foam, debris, or seaweed moving steadily out to sea
  
• A disruption in an approaching wave
  

• Learn more about Rip Current Awareness Week from the National Weather Service
• Learn rip currents safety tips
• Read the Tip of the Week online