On a typical Floridan summer thunderous day, my dear friend Mary and I sat miles apart -- doing what we did best -- yakking our afternoon up on the phone. Our mutual teenaged children weren't due home for a couple of hours. This was our time for brainstorming solutions to problems that go hand-in-hand with the joys of the teen years.

Mary mentioned that the sky was getting black over her way. She worried aloud that her son, Paul, would no doubt use the storm as an excuse to not come straight home from school. About that time, I heard her say,

"Oh my! That was . . . . "

static came over the phone and the phone went dead. Moments later, the everyday re-occurring storms that frequently caused electrical outages also struck our neighborhood. It wasn't until the next day, that I remembered that Mary never called me back. i checked and her home phone still seemed to be out. This is Florida, that's nothing new.

Four days later, she called me, with just one thing to say,

"When lightening calls, don't you dare answer the phone!"

Here in Florida, you are twice as likely to be struck by lightning than in any other place in the United States. Mary was an anomaly, because getting struck by lightning is primarily a "guy thing," in that men are twice as likely to have this happen to them.

Now, this is just a womanly observation that men getting struck by lightning -- has a whole lot to do with the mentality of "spitting in the wind" personalities and playing with metal objects (like golf clubs and fishing rods) -- and probably not having enough sense to come in out of the rain. Sorry guys if that offends you, but I have a husband who is so fascinated by big thunder storms, that he always immediately has to "do something" outside whenever one comes up.

Mostly, it's all about being in the wrong place at the wrong time and that is the one thing you have a measure of control over -- knowing where and when you should seek shelter is the one way that you can lessen your chances of ever getting struck by lightning.

Mary was lucky to live to tell about it. She was in a coma for two days. She had nerve damage, burn marks wherever she had jewelry on that day, her heart stopped and had to be restarted, and had some temporary paralysis. Additionally, she experienced some short term memory loss problems for about a year.

She would later tell us, that the phone static got louder and just as she was about to hang up, she heard a loud explosion, saw a bright light on her right foot, and was knocked across the room. Luckily for her, her son did come straight home and knew CPR

Sometimes it's more about what not to do when thunder and lightning strikes, here are the basics of the dos and don'ts:

• It's about location, location, location -- when lightening and thunder are present -- it is not the time to be outside without proper shelter.
• If you are outdoors and there is not indoor shelter, Do Not seek a lone tree, seek the dense forested area is a better alternative. Thickets of short trees are better than taller ones.
• Fall to your knees if caught out in the open. Be as low as possible with the least amount of your body touching the ground.
• Take off spiked shoes if you are golfing or playing some other sport.
• Chuck the umbrella. It's better to get wet than get struck by lightning.
• Chuck the golf clubs and fishing poles.
• Stay away from water as it conducts electricity.
• Golf carts, ATVs, and motorcycles are also not places to be on during an electrical storm.
• Obviously, from Mary's story and the lesson of others (many of whom did not survive) don't be on a land line or cell phone.
• Avoid metal sinks and metal plumbing.
• If you notice static electricity, drop to the ground immediately (on your knees).
• Avoid being on a beach during such storms.

In some parts of the country, it is not uncommon for someone's land line phones to be repeatedly struck by lightning. If this event has happened more than once, you need to explore with your telephone service provider that "they" not "you" should be doing something about their vulnerable lines (ie. installing lightning rods or by burying the wires). You'll need to put pressure on them.

If over time this problem continues to happen and they are unresponsive, your best options during storms are to:

• Unplug your phone
• Unplug any answering machines
• Unplug any other sensitive electronics and electrical appliances

Don't think that you are completely safe in a thunder and lightning storm, just because you are in your car. Cars can be struck by lightning, but usually the current travels "around" the shell of the car through the metal, then it jumps to the ground. Most of the time, it's the car's electronics that are damaged, but be aware:

• Anyone inside a car in such a storm should keep the windows closed and all arms and legs tucked inside.
• This is not the time to use your cell phone or other electronic devices.
• If you own a convertible, the car is definitely not a safe place.
• If you car is struck by lightning, don't be surprised to have flat tires the next day. This happens because the lightening punctures tiny holes in the tires.

Finally, do not believe the myth that the rubber on your car tires will protect you. It's the shell of the car that actually does that, provided:

• You keep your hands together and in the center of the car and away from any metal objects.

Note: This is not the time to be out pumping gas in your car either.

One thing that most Floridians can't live without in their homes are power surge protectors (power strips), lots of them.

It only takes one good storm to have to replace your television, computer, or phones to make you a believer in the necessity of this product.

Many of us here, go the extra mile, own generators, and auto power strips as electrical storm backups -- thanks to annual hurricane seasons.