Гроза, 9. Students book. Unit 6. Lesson 3-4. Exercise 2c

Cling on – (прильнуть) see explanation Ex. 2b in the corresponding dictionary entry. Hold on to (Держаться за) – meaning 1. The idea of feeling unsafe is stressed here by the journalist, hence the choice of words, so the reader can see the picture vividly and understand the situation better.