When there's a thunderstorm with lightning going on where you are...
 

... do you continue to sit at the computer?


http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_pls/lst.html

Unfortunately I have no choice... we've had thunderstorms here almost constantly for 4 or 5 weeks now. I've lost track at this point.
We get a day or two sometimes of peace but for the most part, it's been a very consistent weather system around here.

No, and I refuse to pick up the phone if it rings. Thats the weakest wire, then cable, then electric imho.

Just the other week I had a phone, cable modem, router and two tv's tuners get fried in a storm. Both tv's turn on, but their tuners are slagged. Other inputs are ok. So it was through the cable.

They also say (from survivors accounts) that right before you get struck, you may feel the sensation of your hair standing on end.. so if you feel that, drop flat and pray.

And yet, another very important post brought to you by CDSmith.

Not.

I do and what's really strange is that I refuse to talk on the phone during a storm. When I was little a friend of my grandfather's was killed talking on the phone during a storm and he scared the shit out of all us so NONE of the grandkids will get near a phone during a storm, lol.

After living through a tornado in college, I also won't own a house w/o a basement. Even though I don't think there's ever been any record of a tornado up here in the mountains, I still herd everyone into the basement if there's a watch. I moved from "Tornado Alley" in Cobb County GA and I remember dragging the lady who used to come in and cook for me down to the basement with the dogs and the cat when the sirens went off one day :)

Living on a small island, there is not enough landmass here to create juicy thunderstorms - kinda miss 'em lol

i get in my bed, go under my covers and cry. so i guess i'm safe

Good sense, Peaches. Phone use is the leading cause of indoor lightning injuries in the United States.

i always turn my computer off its its close...

dont need to fry a board... surge protectors dont always protect your shit...

my computer is too much of an asset to risk surfing/working through a bad storm, isnt too often so its not an issue

If I hear a big thunderstorm nearby, I turn off the PC, the TV and don't take a bath (and I taught the same to my sales rep!).

Actually not sure if the last thing makes sense, but I've been brought up that way.

we shut down and unplug because of the surges.

Even with the power surge protectors, we lost a lap top.

Webmaster safety isn't a concern of yours? Then again you aren't one, you are a postbot. :D


I just clicked on a random 8 threads on the main page and got those insight-laden ditties.
I wasn't worried though, your botspeak is in every thread.

What if it's a cordless phone? :D

lol I stand out front my house and watch it with the kids.. nothing changes unless the power goes out, I only knew 1 person in my life that would unplug everything before leaving the house and would cry when it would thunder and shit.. obsiously her house been hit before.

If I'm going out of town I'll unplug the two main plugs that are the surge protectors for the laptop, printer, router, etc. I guess I need to start unplugging the laptop during storms - doh. I usually leave the TV on, lol. And I have a generator that kicks in at 6 seconds so I probably have more "surges" than the average bear.

I read a very interesting book (fiction) about a woman who had been struck by lightening and the author had done a lot of research. Seeing how many different ways a direct hit can affect a person is really bizarre.

There's a thunderboomer going on here right now. :D

So the computer is okay basically (mine isn't connected to the phone line, but I do have cable modem). The thing I've always avoided is taking a shower during lightning storms. But I find it hard to quit what I'm doing on the computer usually, because usually I have 10 or 15 programs and various windows open.

Same. It's been hot, humid, and thunderstormy for a few weeks now. Nasty weather.

Cry? You just need some healthy distraction.


http://www.thewinnipegpages.com/foru...1116525473.jpg

I run outside into the storm naked and masterbate to the sound of the thunder in the air !

goodgirl used to fry more stuff than a short order cook where she used to live.

When we get lightning here I use it as an excuse to take a break.

hahaha, haven't had anyone try and distract me that way yet. it would probably work since i go into some other zone during sex. thanks for the idea :thumbsup i grew up in the mountains so that is why i get so scared. same stories peaches heard and they were all true.

I can't wait for more rain in Tucson. My plants are thirsty!

I think it makes a difference when you live inside a city where there are hundreds and sometimes thousands of structures that are taller than your house. The likelyhood of your exact house getting nailed by lightning is pretty small in that sense, as opposed to living in the country or up in higher elevations.

It's been thunderbooming here for the past 3 hours now, I haven't left the computer.

I need some healthy distraction, obviously. :D

I stay at my computer while being on the phone with a headset on. I don't worry about very much these days.

if it's a cordless phone you have nothing to worry about. The base will get fried, but that's about it. Unless you're right next to the base when lightning hit than you're all good. A corded phone is very different since you're badically holing what's getting struck by lightning. haha ZAP!

That's what I thought.

I'm not any better but do a search on your posts today alone.almost 200 how much do you pay your outsource company?

I'll continue to work away.apparently I have insurance with my surge protectors and I'm itching to see how it works if it does happen

My (dopey) husband heads to the shore with his camera... I have to admit, he does take nice pics though.
http://www.newenglandphotography.net...ght-hp-005.jpg
http://www.newenglandphotography.net...ght-hp-025.jpg

One of these days hes going to get fried. Maybe I should increase his insurance policy. :thumbsup

That he does. :thumbsup

Maybe? I'd get right on that if I were you. :winkwink:

Just last night a house in one of the ATL burbs got hit through a tree next to it. The lightening traveled down the tree through a gas line:

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/16735635/detail.html

YOU'RE NEVER SAFE!! :helpme:helpme:helpme

I have yet to be able to catch lightning on film. Any tips, besides moving somewhere that has more than we get in LA.

Agreed, but in truth I wasn't suggesting otherwise, only that it is less likely.

Never said it can't happen.

Timed exposure.

http://www.cimms.ou.edu/~doswell/ltgph.html

Don't you people have portable phones?

I don't because I'm in a big building and it's grounded well. The electric shock would never get to me because it wouldn't get past the several grounds. However if it's really popping lighting close by I'll usually un plug the computer.


I will say lighting is nothing to play with. Back before I did websites online I used to install high speed internet. One day I had 1 last job to get done before a storm hit. It was miles off in the distance I'd say at least a min of 5 to 8 miles away.

I climbed up on the telephone poll to hook up the line, just as I was hooking it up, I saw lighting hit at least 3 to 5 miles away then a big ass bang from it and the electricity actually traveled through the line and I got zapped by it. I actually saw a fucking arch of electricity come off the main line to my hand.

Was some scary shit and the hit was at least 3 to 5 miles from where I was at. I was amazed at how fast it traved through the lines because I saw the actual hit and I was shocked by it about the same time I heard the boom from the thunder. Guess that's the speed of light..

That's *IF* you have the cognitive ability to make a conscious decision within a 1/1000th of a micro-second before the big jolt fries your ass.

Great story. It's lucky you weren't knocked flying right off that pole. How high up off the ground were you again? :D



Further to: photographing lightning - Here's a great page full of tips...

http://www.lightningphotography.com/tips.html

Thunderstorm W/ Lightning going on outside right now. You see where I am. :)

My aunt and uncle built a house on my grandfather's ranch in the early 70's. We used to spend a lot of weekends up there when it was being built. It was on one of the highest spots of land and was almost entirely windows because the view was so incredible.

Anyhoo, one weekend we were there and there was a huge lightning storm. A strike hit the house and we saw sparks fly out of all the electrical sockets. After they repaired all that, they put up a lightning rod ;)

The house we lived in Savannah had some sort of weird lightning attractor in the back yard. We had 3 strikes there in the 18 months we lived in it. Once it wrapped around a tree and the tree was on fire just in the circular motion for about 5 minutes, once the same thing happened as at my aunt and uncle's - the sparks came through the sockets, and once we just watched as it hit directly in the backyard and left a burn mark.

I'm not scared of much, but I have mucho respect for Mother Nature.

Thankfully, Peachy, I have not had lightning ever hit that close to me, ever. It's hit close, like in my neighborhood a few times, knocked out the power for a while, but that's it.

It think if it hit my house and sparks flew out of all of my electrical sockets I would shit myself.

Then swear like a pissed-off sailor who just discovered he forgot his wallet on shore leave on half price hooker night.

You are kidding yourself.

Any more good lightning stories?

Been some good thunderboomers around the country this summer already.

out there ... eager to see the lightnings hehe

thunderboomer right now.

you'd be fine on a cordless, but the base will be fried.

I live in So Cal. All I get is a heavy marine layer at times. It's pretty frightening.

When there's a lightning I use my laptop powered by a battery and mobile internet with 3g modem :pimp