Don’t take shelter under trees in rainstorms — NADMO

Children have been cautioned not to take shelter under trees or stand beneath electricity poles during a rainstorm because it is dangerous.

According to the Director of Communications of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr George Ayisi, thunderstorms were usually accompanied by lightning and strong winds, therefore, windy rainstorms could cause a tree to fall on them.

“Similarly, there is also the risk of being electrocuted if you stand under an electricity pole when it is raining heavily,” he said in an interview.

Furthermore, he said, it was not advisable to take shelter in a dilapidated building because such buildings had weak rooftops which could collapse on people when it was raining heavily with strong winds.

 Mr Ayisi pointed out that it was important for children to know that thunderstorms produced lightning and when lightning struck, it could lead to death or permanent disability.

Moreover, he reiterated the need for youngsters to pay attention to the weather warnings by the Ghana Meteorological Agency to know when it would rain in order to prepare adequately before going out of their homes and encouraged them to always ask their parents or guardians about the weather situation before they went out.

Mr Ayisi advised children to always wait at home or school whenever it threatened to rain so that they would not be trapped in the rain, fall into drains and drown or be victims to lightning strikes.

In a rainstorm

“Always look for a safe place to wait when it is raining since rushing home could be very dangerous.’’

“Also don’t play in the rain or floodwaters because the water can be swift and by the time you realise it, you will be in a deep gutter being carried away,” he stressed.

He cautioned children to stay away from materials that conduct electricity during thunderstorms to avoid being electrocuted.

“Children enjoy watching television or playing on their phones or tablets during a storm. Unfortunately, that is not advisable because the radioactive rays from the lightning could be dangerous.

“So when it’s about to rain, don’t use your phones. Switch off all devices which use electricity because such objects have electromagnetic parts which could cause fire when they come into contact with a lightning flash,” he added.

Mr Ayisi pointed out that his outfit had identified safe havens in flood-prone communities where children could take shelter during floods and tasked them to make use of such safe havens which could be a school, church, stadium, or community centre.

“Basically, some children will not be aware of the danger that may occur due to lightning or in a thunderstorm, so parents and teachers need to educate them on how to remain protected in such conditions,” he noted.

For instance, he said, parents should not send their children on errands when it was raining heavily. He said children were inquisitive, therefore, parents should educate them on the dangers associated with touching the wires of fallen electricity poles. Mr Ayisi also encouraged parents to educate their children on where the safe havens in their communities could be located so they could take shelter when the need arose.

He added that during rainy school hours, the school authority should not send children home because they may not be safe.