According to the National Weather Service, lightning is the second greatest cause of storm-related deaths in the United States, killing more people each year than tornadoes or hurricanes. Lightning is also tremendously damaging to personal property.

MetLife Auto & Home offers the following tips to ensure your personal safety against lightning:

Look to the skies. Darkening skies and heavy winds can be indications that a thunderstorm is approaching. If so, don't wait for the rain to fall or the first flash of lightning-take cover immediately!

If you're stranded, stay away from trees, convertible automobiles, and water. Believe it or not, crouching in the open is one of the safer courses of action, if you found yourself stranded without shelter during a thunderstorm. The inside of a hardtop vehicle can be a great form of shelter, but the car must be fully enclosed in metal-not fiberglass.

If you're driving, pull over. Pull over to the side of the road and stay inside your car, unless a safe building is close by.

If you're boating or swimming, seek dry land. Water conducts electricity. In all cases, it's important to seek shelter immediately. Before setting sail, check out your favorite weathercast for storm warnings, or check with NOAA Weather Radio, which is offered as a public service by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration.

If you're indoors, avoid using the telephone, and contact with plumbing fixtures, such as showerheads or faucets. Also, to protect property, turn off all electrical devices, including air conditioners and computers. Power surges from lightning can cause serious damage.

Before a storm occurs, there are practical things you can do to safeguard your home and property against lightning. Consider the following:

Install surge suppressors. This is a relatively inexpensive way to prevent electrical surges from entering your home or other structures through the power lines.

Install some type of lightning protection system (i.e., lightning rods). This will allow lightning currents to travel safely to the ground.

Take a good look at the layout of your house and identify possible lightning hazards. This includes inappropriately secured electrical fixtures.

If you're considering putting up a flagpole, plan carefully. A tall flagpole is an attractive target, especially if it's the highest object in the area. Make certain to build the flagpole at least 20 feet away from property, to prevent lightning strikes from traveling toward the house.

For additional information on lightning safety, MetLife Auto & Home offers a free brochure entitled "High Boltage!" The brochure contains information on how to avoid injuries caused by lightning, as well as lightning facts and fiction. Also available is MetLife Auto & Home's "Severe Thunderstorms" poster, a kid-friendly, eye-catching poster providing information on what to do should a lightning strike occur and how to prepare for an emergency, along with informative websites. Both are available free by calling 1-800-MET-LIFE (1-800-638-5433).