MIDLAND, Texas — When the thunder rolls in West Texas, so do the sirens at the Midland Fire Department.
“Severe weather happens rapidly in West Texas," James Howard, Midland Fire Marshal said. "Thunderstorms build up quickly and we have the potential of damaging hail, tornadoes, and lightning.”
During severe weather, lightning is not the only concern for fires. So is standing water on roofs that can spark electrical fires.
“Any exposed wiring, open junction boxes, things like that can be a hazard," Howard said. "Making sure all your electrical equipment is in good operations is key.”
Firefighters are not just putting out flames during severe weather either, they respond to other issues, too.
“Well typically what we see with flat roofs is when we have sudden storms we have a large accumulation of water to the roof and typically we are more concerned with a portion of the roof collapsing,” Howard said.
The oil field keeps them busy as well.
“Well just because of our geographical terrain, I mean we’re so flat. So if you’re out on a rig site working the tallest point," Howard said. "So lightning is going to hit that and try to make it’s way to the ground. So we do always caution guys to be mindful of that.”
The biggest tip from Midland Fire?
Stay inside when it is stormy. If something in your house or business starts to smell like natural gas or smoke or you worry about a leak, call 911.