Ed. Note: The following is a news release provided by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration and National Weather Service.

The Santa Clarita Valley and surrounding areas are expected to have heavy rainfalls, thunderstorms, hail, gusty winds and lightning Thursday and Friday, according to a news release provided by National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration and National Weather Service.

The following are some safety tips to help prepare residents for thunderstorms and lightning;

• If you hear thunder, then lightning is close enough to strike you, and you should move to a safe shelter: a substantial building (office building, school and home offer good protection). Once inside, stay away from windows, doors, and anything that conducts electricity such as corded telephones, computers and other equipment.
• Electrical charges can linger in clouds after a thunderstorm has passed; experts recommend that people should wait at least 30 minutes after the storm before resuming activities. Stay away from objects that conduct electricity (barbed wire fences, power lines, windmills, etc.).
• No place outside is safe in or near a thunderstorm. Stop what you are doing and get to a safe place immediately. Remember small outdoor buildings, including dugouts, rain shelters, sheds, etc., are not safe.

If you are caught outside with no safe shelter nearby, the following actions may reduce your risk:

• Immediately get off elevated areas such as hills, mountain ridges or peaks.
• Never lie flat on the ground, under an isolated tree nor use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter. Immediately get out and away from ponds, lakes and other bodies of water.

For additional information, please go to the website.

Los Angeles County residents and businesses, including persons with disabilities and others with access and functional needs, may call 211 LA County for emergency preparedness information, and other referral services.

The toll-free 2-1-1 number is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week. 211 LA County services can also be accessed at the website.

To register for the Specific Needs Awareness Planning program please go to the website.  

For disaster/emergency preparedness information, please access the website and/or this website.