Lightning Safety: Essential Knowledge for Every Season

The Lightning Threat

Lightning is one of nature's most dangerous and spectacular phenomena. Every year, lightning causes dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries worldwide. Understanding lightning safety can save your life.

How Lightning Forms

Lightning is a massive electrical discharge caused by imbalanced charges within thunderstorm clouds. As ice particles collide within the storm, positive charges accumulate at the cloud top while negative charges gather at the base. When this charge separation becomes extreme, lightning strikes — either within the cloud (intracloud) or between the cloud and ground (cloud-to-ground).

A single lightning bolt can:

• Reach temperatures of 30,000 Kelvin (5x hotter than the sun's surface)
• Contain up to one billion volts of electricity
• Travel at 200,000 mph

The 30-30 Rule

Use this rule to gauge lightning danger outdoors:

• First 30: When you see lightning, count the seconds until you hear thunder. If it's less than 30 seconds, seek shelter immediately
• Second 30: Stay inside for 30 minutes after the last thunder you hear

Lightning Safety Rules

When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors

The only truly safe place during a thunderstorm is inside a substantial building or hard-topped vehicle. Picnic shelters, tents, and porches are NOT safe.

If You're Caught Outside

• NEVER lie flat on the ground
• DO NOT shelter under isolated trees
• AVOID hilltops, open fields, and water
• Get low in a crouched position if no shelter is available
• Spread out if in a group — being close together increases risk

After the Storm

• Wait 30 minutes after last thunder before resuming outdoor activities
• Don't touch fallen power lines or puddles near them
• Check on family members who were outdoors during the storm

Common Lightning Myths Debunked

• Myth: Rubber tires protect you in a car. Truth: It's the metal roof, not the tires, that provides protection
• Myth: Lightning never strikes the same place twice. Truth: The Empire State Building is struck about 23 times per year
• Myth: If it's not raining, there's no lightning danger. Truth: "Bolts from the blue" can strike 10+ miles from a storm

Source: National Weather Service, NOAA Lightning Safety