Educational Facilities Disaster and Crisis Management Guidebook.

INTRODUCTION
In the event of a thunderstorm warning, take immediate
shelter, remain indoors, and stay away from windows. Stay
tuned to local radio, NOAA weather alert radio, or television for
weather advisories and special instructions from local
government.
Power Outages
A power outage is the loss of electricity supply to an area.
The reasons for a power failure include a defect in a power
station, damage to a power line or other part of the distribution
system, a short circuit, or the overloading of electricity mains.
A power outage may be referred to as a “blackout” if power is
lost completely, or as a “brownout” if some power supply is
retained but the voltage level is below the minimum level
specified for the system. Some brownouts, called “voltage
reductions,” are initiated intentionally to prevent a full power
outage.
Power failures are particularly troublesome for schools as they
can impact the safety of students. For this reason, and
because of their potential use as shelters, some schools have
emergency power generators that are configured to start
automatically as soon as a power failure occurs.
Lightning
Lightning is a powerful natural electrostatic discharge produced
during a thunderstorm. Lightning causes more deaths annually
than do hurricanes or tornadoes.
To prepare for lightning, train all appropriate school personnel
in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Automated External
Difibrillator (AED), and First Aid. (Lightning victims can often be
revived).
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