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July 11, 2018 www.DesertMessenger.com 15 Nancy's Kitchen APPLE PIE SMOOTHIE serves 1 1/3 Cup ice 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 3/4 cup milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1 Tbsp ground flax Blend and Enjoy! east two hours, before serving. TACO SALAD 1 pound ground beef 1 head lettuce 1 bag corn chips 2 large diced tomatoes 2 packages shredded cheddar cheese 1 can red kidney beans 1 large bottle Catalina salad dressing 1 package taco seasoning 1 medium diced onion Directions 1. Brown ground beef and drain; mix in all remaining ingredients except chips and dressing. 2. When ready to serve, toss in chips and dressing. MONSOON FROM PAGE 3 Chamber & Tourism on summer hours The Quartzsite Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism is now on summer hours. The office is Open WED, THURS & FRIDAY from 10am-2pm. Drop in and see what's happening! Check out the Facebook page for updates: business and so- cial media tools, current events, etc. The Chamber & Tourism is located at 1240 W. Main Street, Quartzsite, directly across from McDonald's. For more info visit www.QuartzsiteTourism.com or call 928-927-5200. Research has shown that the most successive flashes are within 6 miles, which means that you should have reached a safe place if lightning is less than 6 miles away. However, lightning may strike up to 10 miles away from the parent storm. If someone is struck by lightning, call 911 immediately. Indoor Safety • Never touch wiring during a thun- derstorm. It's too late to unplug electronics if thunder is heard. • Corded phones are dangerous during thunderstorms. Lightning traveling through telephone wires has killed people. Cell phone and cordless phones are safe. • Wait to use any plumbing-sinks, showers, tubs, and toilets. Plumb- ing can conduct electricity from lightning strikes from outside. • Unplug expensive electronics in- cluding TV, stereo, home entertain- ment centers, and computers modem lines when thunderstorms are ex- pected, and before the storm arrives. Typically, summer thunderstorms form in the early to mid-afternoon, when most people are at work. • Stop playing video games connect- ed to the TV. Outdoor Safety No place outside is safe from light- ning during a thunderstorm. When a storm approaches go to a nearby large substantial building or a ful- ly-enclosed metal-topped vehicle. Bring pets indoors. Lightning and thunder are very scary for pets, and they are likely to panic or even run away to try and escape the storm. Power and Communications Outage Safety Power and communications out- ages can be more widespread and last longer than a thunderstorm. Be ready for outages inside and out- doors by taking precautions and actions to minimize inconvenience and maximize safety. Protect sensi- tive electrical equipment by install- ing power protection devices that can be purchased at department, hardware or electronics stores. Indoor Safety • Stay at home. • Use a cell phone. Cordless phones do not work without electricity. Use corded phone only for emergencies. • Unplug sensitive electronic equip- ment before the storm arrives. • Turn off electric appliances that were on before power was lost. Leave one light on as an indicator for when power is restored. • Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed — food will stay fresh up to 8 hours. • If the power is out for less than two hours, do not open the refrig- erator or freezer. This will help food to stay cold. For a power outage lasting longer than two hours, pack cold and frozen foods into coolers. As a general rule, perishable foods should not be held over 40 degrees for more than two hours. • During a thunderstorm, turn off the AC unit. Power surges from lightning can overload units, lead- ing to costly repair bills. Outdoor Safety • Stay away from downed power lines. • Call 911 to report downed power lines. • If a power line comes into contact with your vehicle, remain inside the vehicle until help arrives. Do not at- tempt to get out of the vehicle - that is the safest place for you to be. By stepping out of the vehicle, your body can become the pathway for electricity to reach the ground, caus- ing severe bodily harm and possibly electrocution. Use a cell phone, if available, to notify emergency ser- vices of the exact location. How Storms Affect the Delivery of Electric Power • High winds and lightning strikes can cause lines to cross and short out or break, thereby interrupting the flow of electricity. • Lightning can strike a transformer on a pole or a substation interrupting the delivery of electricity — even miles away from the location of the strike. Call APS at 855-688-2437 (Residen- tial) or 602-371-6767 (Business). Re- porting an outage helps to locate and fix the problem faster. For current outage info please visit: http://out- agemap.aps.com/outageviewer/ Dust Storms • These are an underrated killer in Arizona! Straight lines winds in any thunderstorm can lift huge clouds of dust and reduce visibilities to near zero in seconds, which can quickly result in deadly, multi-vehicle acci- dents on roadways. • Dust storms, or haboobs, are more common during the early part of the monsoon, but can occur at any time during the season, depending on rainfall patterns. Be prepared for blowing dust and reduced vis- ibilities any time thunderstorms are nearby. • Remember: PULL ASIDE, STAY ALIVE! If you encounter a dust storm, and cannot avoid driving into it. Pull off the road as far as you can safely do so. Turn off your head- lights and taillights. Put your vehi- cle in "PARK," and/or engage your parking brake, and take your foot off the brake (so your brake lights are not illuminated.) Other motor- ists may tend to follow tail lights in an attempt to get through the dust storm, and may strike your vehicle from behind. For additional infor- mation, see pullasidestayalive.org • Dust storms usually last a few minutes, and up to an hour at most. Stay where you are until the dust storm passes. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ DesertMessengerNews Follow on Twitter @DesertMessenger @QuartzsiteRain

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