Ow to stay safe during a storm
Dear Heloise: We’ve had some heavy thunderstorms in my area of the country. My fiance and I were out on a golf course o n e time during a thunderstorm, and he ran toward a tree, thinking it was safe. I told him that this wasn’t a safe place to avoid lightning, so we made a dash for the clubhouse instead.
While I know standing under a tree isn’t safe when there’s lightning, are there any other special do’s and don’ts to know during an electrical storm? — Suzanna B., Overland Park, Kansas
Suzanna, yes, there are, according to the National Weather Service:
■ Avoid talking on the telephone or any other electrical devices.
■ Stay away from plumbing. No sinks, bathtubs, shower stalls or faucets.
■ If you’re on the porch, go inside or get into a vehicle with a hard top.
■ Stay away from windows and doors.
■ You might want to unplug appliances if lightning is close to your home.
■ Above all, stay alert and listen to weather warnings on a battery-powered radio. — Heloise
Gift-giving
Dear Heloise: My neighbors just had a housewarming party, and they received a number of lovely gifts. But a week later, the hostess wrote me a very nice thank-you card. While vases and serving trays are always welcomed, she said that my gift had been the most useful. So, what did I get them? A hand truck! Sometimes called dollies, they’re used to carry heavy objects into the home or out of it. Hopefully, this will save them from back injuries.
As I walked around the hardware store, I realized that there are a lot of items people can use, but no one seems to think of them, such as large flashlights, security lights, motion detector lights, electric drills, hammers, shovels and much more. When someone moves from an apartment to a new home, they usually don’t have a number of these things that homeowners need. — Laura C., Durham, North Carolina
Laura, I like to give a gift card to a local home-improvement store to first-time homeowners. There are always tools that they’ll need and often don’t have. — Heloise