How to Calm Thunderstorm Fears

Do you get really nervous when there's a thunderstorm or do your kids? I do but I'll never let my kids see that thunderstorms unnerve me. I don't want them to be fearful unnecessarily. It's not as if I have Astraphobia but I definitely can't wait for a storm to be over. I usually imagine the house being struck by lightening, which is not probable by the way. According the National Lightening Safety Institute, 1 in 200 houses get struck by lightening each year but only 1 in 280,000 people will be struck by lightening. So chances are, you’ll be fine unless you decide it’s a good idea to embrace a metal pole in an open, outside area during a severe thunderstorm.

Last night, a very loud thunderstorm rolled into Oneonta. Why do they always seem to come at night? That just makes it worse because you’re unable to sleep with that racket going on and it just makes the anxiousness about the storm worse. Considering it’s thunderstorm season, I decided that now is as good a time as any to start feeling better about storms. Here’s some great info on dealing with thunderstorm stress from kidshealth.org: http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/thought/thunderstorms.html#

Step 1. Understand What's Happening: There’s nothing mystical going on when a thunderstorm hits. “The electric boom of lightning heats up the atmosphere, causing the noise called thunder.”

Step 2. Know How to Stay Safe: Get inside and stay away from water since water conducts electricity. It’s NOT a good idea to take a shower or bath during a thunderstorm. If you are outside and there’s no house or building, wait the storm out in a car. Also, don't stand under a tree since lightening is much more likely to strike something tall.

Step 3. Plan ahead: Talk with your kids about what to do if you get caught in a storm. It's a good idea to make sure you know the weather forecast before heading for an outdoor activity, especially camping so that you can be prepared.

For more tips on how to prepare for a thunderstorm from the American Red Cross, to to Redcross.org.