A storm hits the valley Aug. 7, 2008. Photo reprinted from LasVegasNow.com 

Yesterday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Las Vegas and the surrounding cities.  As a result of the storm, a mother and her young son were sent to the hospital after being struck by lightning, a 12-year-old boy was rescued from rushing water and roads throughout the valley were briefly flooded.  Fortunately, there were no deaths or serious injuries and everyone is reported to be OK.   

Like I noted in my last post, thunderstorms such as yesterday’s are more common during the summer.  Below are some tips from the National Weather Service, LVMPD and Fox 5 Web sites about how to keep safe from lightning and flash floods and how to react if you ever find yourself in one of these emergency situations.

See: Las Vegas lightning video posted on YouTube

Lightning Safety:

·     If you are outdoors and can hear thunder, seek shelter immediately in a building or vehicle. Lightning can strike as far as 10 miles from area where it is raining, which is about the distance you can hear thunder.  Do not stand under trees or other large objects. If you are in water, get to dry ground and seek shelter, because water is a conductor of electricity.

·     If indoors, stay away from windows or doors, stay off corded phones, computers and other electrical equipment that put you in direct contact with electricity. Stay away from pools, indoor or outdoor, tubs, showers and other plumbing.

·     If lightning is in the immediate area, and there is no safe location nearby, stay slightly apart from other people, so the lightning won’t travel between you, if hit. Keep your feet together and sit on the ground out in the open.  Do not stand under trees or other large objects.

·     If a person is struck by lightning, check for injuries. Burns are possible, and they may not be breathing or have a heartbeat. Call 911 and start CPR immediately. You are in no danger helping a lightning victim. The charge will not affect you. 

Although we live in a city where we don’t have to worry about hazardous driving conditions associated with icy roads, snow, and slush, there are dangers associated with driving in hot climates that we often overlook.  Also, as some of you may have experienced before, our valley has been prone to floods, which although mild, can be life-threatening on our roads.  Below are some tips I pulled from some Web sites that explain how to maintain your vehicle and avoid dangerous situations related to driving in desert climates.

·      When driving in hot weather, keep an eye on the lights and gauges.  If your temperature gauge moves up, turn off your air conditioner and turn on the heater to its highest and hottest setting, as it will help draw some of the heat away from the engine.  If the temperature light goes on or if the gauge enters the red zone, immediately pull off the road to a safe spot, well away from traffic. Do not drive any further — not even to the next exit. Driving with an overheated engine can cause serious damage to the engine.* 

·       If your vehicle overheats, do not attempt to remove the radiator cap itself. The hot pressurized coolant will spray out with great force. Do not pour water over the radiator or engine, since a dramatic change in temperature could cause damage. After the engine cools, add a 50-50 mix of coolant and water to the reservoir to bring it up to its proper level. * 

·       Avoid road rage by staying cool.  Take along moist towelettes and water to refresh yourself and stop to stretch and relax during long trips.* 

·       July and August are the beginning of monsoon season.  Las Vegas gets very little rainfall but a little tends to bring up some of the oil on the streets which makes driving treacherous.*  Slow down to accommodate rainy weather and double the amount of space that you would regularly place between you and other drivers. Also, during and after heavy rainfalls, avoid areas of town where there are dips in the road—as they can fill with pools of water, which may be deep enough to entrench your car.   

·       And of course, NEVER leave a child or pet in a parked car. Even an outside temperature in the 80s can quickly bring a car interior to lethal levels.* 

*Info pulled from www.roadandtravel.com and las-vegas-hotels-tripadvisor.com

A few days ago I mentioned that our firm was going to be donating $5,000 to NALA (Nevada Association of Latin Americans) to sponsor a classroom for their 4-year-old students to provide them with materials they need for their ESL education. 

 
Patricia Gutierrez, community relations director for the Law Offices of Adam S. Kutner presents the check to Teri de la Torre, NALA executive director and Edgar Patino, NALA chairperson.

Wednesday, the donation was presented to NALA, who graciously provided attendees with Latin food and entertainment.  The adorable NALA preschool students were a huge hit when they performed Latin folkloric dances wearing traditional red and green costumes.  After the presentation of the donation and the dance performance, the NALA staff, members from their board of directors and guests enjoyed a lunch of tamales and carne asada tacos followed by cake for dessert.

NALA students along with their teacher perform folkloric dances  

Big thanks to NALA for everything they do for our community. Like I mentioned before,   NALA has been in the community for almost 40 years and is the only Hispanic social service agency in Southern Nevada.  They provide individuals and families of low to moderate income educational and social services, including preschool and childcare for the to 2-5 year old children of working parents. 

Also, thank you, NALA, for the beautiful plaque to place in our office to symbolize our partnership with your wonderful organization and for the homemade salsa and chips.  We hope to see you all again soon.

Regards,

Adam S. Kutner