Throwback Thursday: Storm Season is Upon Us (Again)

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Beijingkids has been an essential family resource for Beijing international families since 2006. And just as kids grow up in the blink of an eye, Beijing has grown and changed almost beyond recognition in that time. In Throwback Thursday we jump in the time machine, traveling through our 14 year-strong blog archives to dig out the most entertaining, fascinating, and thought-provoking stories for your reading pleasure. Ready? Let’s go…

If Sunday night was any indication of what’s in store for us in the next few weeks, it’s time for a refresher course on Beijing’s dreaded stormy season. As one Beijinger writer, Steven Schwankert reported, back in 2012 Beijing’s storm season claimed a total of 77 lives during the worst downpour on record in 60 years, and led to the resignation of the then Beijing Mayor and Vice Mayor.

With more rain, hail in some parts of Beijing, and the inevitable flooding on the streets, it’s time for a refresher course on keeping your family safe. As our beijingkids writer Nimo Wanjau wrote back in 2014, here are the top tips on keeping yourself and your family safe during storm season.

Monitor the Weather
Last week, the local government send out texts, in Chinese though, warning of an impending storm. A problem might arise if the text is perceived as a telemarketing strategy as some of the warnings were sent through the phone service provider. Get a Chinese speaker to let you know if the text you are getting is a storm warning.

Check outside to see the progress of the storm from darkening skies, flashes of lightning, or increasing winds.

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Get to a Safe Place
The best way to know that a storm is headed in your direction is to listen to the rolling of thunder.  This is a sign that you need to get to a safe place immediately. If the storm catches you while you are outside, it’s best to find a fully enclosed building. If you are in an open space make sure that you and your kids are not in the tallest building.

Stay Away from Metal Conductors
Metal does not attract lightning but it is a good conductor of electricity, which means lightning can travel through it. This is not like in cartoons where the skeleton becomes visible. This can be fatal as electrocution can occur.

Have a Lightning Safety Plan
Come up with a plan to know where to get to safety and how long it would take to get there. Also ground rules of what should and should not be touched during a storm such as only using a cordless phone, stocking up on food and keeping away from electrical equipment, and wiring. All windows need to be closed as the winds might rip them off from their hinges. This should also include a first aid kit just in case there is something that you would need to have looked at.

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Photos: blogs.wsj.com, pexels

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