Even if you receive an announcement that fields are open for practices or games, please exercise your common sense and abide by the rules below.

If lightning is in the area, use the FLASH-TO-BANG method to determine how far away the lightning is. This is the time from SEEING the stroke to HEARING the thunder. For each five seconds' count, the lightning is one mile away. A count of 20 seconds = 4 miles away; 15 seconds = 3 miles away. At a count of 15 seconds, the lightning is near enough to take immediate defensive actions, which means:

• Suspend play immediately;
• Avoid metal objects such as fences, bats, machinery motors, and power tools;
• Avoid water, tents, trees, hilltops, or open spaces;
• Have participants seek shelter in a building or in a truck, van or car with the windows completely shut; and
• Be certain that nobody remains on the fields.

If lightning should strike nearby:

• Avoid direct contact with other people;
• Get into a ditch or a shallow depression; and
• Remove all metal objects (baseball hats). Crouch down with feet together and hands on knees.

If a person is injured by lightning, call 911 and provide first aid. An injured person does not carry an electrical charge and can be safely handled. Again, please call or send for help immediately.