Lightning Safety: 7 Myths That Could Get You Killed

Lightning is one of nature's most spectacular and dangerous phenomena. With an average temperature of 30,000 Kelvin and carrying up to 300 million volts, a lightning strike can kill instantly. Yet dangerous myths about lightning safety persist, leading people to take actions that increase rather than decrease their risk during thunderstorms.

Myth 1: Lightning Never Strikes the Same Place Twice

This is perhaps the most widely believed and most dangerous lightning myth. In reality, lightning frequently strikes the same location repeatedly. Tall structures, prominent landforms, and isolated objects are struck multiple times during a single storm. The Empire State Building is struck approximately 20 to 25 times per year.

The practical implication is that a location where lightning has already struck is not safe. If you are in an exposed area during a thunderstorm, the fact that lightning has already struck nearby does not reduce your risk for subsequent strikes.

Myth 2: If You Are Not in an Open Field, You Are Safe

While being in an open field is extremely dangerous, lightning strikes occur in many other settings. People have been struck under trees, on covered porches, inside tents, and even through windows. Lightning can also enter buildings through plumbing, wiring, and phone lines.

The only truly safe locations during a thunderstorm are substantial enclosed buildings or hard-topped vehicles. Open structures including gazebos, picnic shelters, and dugouts provide no meaningful lightning protection.

Myth 3: Rubber Tires Protect You in a Car

People often believe they are safe in a car because rubber tires insulate them from the ground. In reality, a standard car provides excellent lightning protection, but the tires have nothing to do with it. The metal frame and body panels of the vehicle act as a Faraday cage, conducting the electrical current around the passenger compartment and into the ground.

This is why convertibles, motorcycles, and open vehicles provide no lightning protection. The metal enclosure is the critical factor, not the tires.

Myth 4: If It Is Not Raining, There Is No Lightning Danger

Lightning can strike up to 10 miles or more from the center of a thunderstorm, well beyond the area of rainfall. These so-called bolts from the blue occur frequently and catch people off guard because the sky directly overhead may appear relatively clear.

The 30-30 rule provides a practical guideline: if the time between seeing lightning and hearing thunder is less than 30 seconds, you should be inside a safe shelter. Remain there until 30 minutes after the last observed lightning or thunder.

Myth 5: Lying Flat on the Ground Reduces Your Risk

While reducing your height outdoors does marginally decrease the chance of a direct strike, lying flat on the ground dramatically increases your risk from ground current, which is responsible for the majority of lightning injuries and deaths. When lightning strikes the ground, the electrical current radiates outward, and a person lying on the ground provides a long conductive path.

If you are caught outdoors with no shelter available, crouch low on the balls of your feet with your feet together, minimizing both your height and your contact with the ground.

Myth 6: Lightning Victims Are Electrified and Dangerous to Touch

This myth causes deadly delays in providing first aid to lightning strike victims. Lightning victims do not carry an electrical charge and are completely safe to touch immediately. Quick medical intervention, particularly CPR, dramatically improves survival rates. Do not hesitate to provide first aid to a lightning strike victim.

Myth 7: Metal Attracts Lightning

Metal does not attract lightning. Lightning strikes based on height, shape, and isolation of objects, not their material composition. Standing in an open field, you are at equal risk whether or not you are holding a metal golf club or umbrella.

However, metal is an excellent conductor of electricity. If lightning strikes you or near you, metal objects on your body can conduct current and cause burns. This does not mean you should waste time removing jewelry or metal accessories during a storm. Seeking shelter immediately is always the priority.

What to Do

When thunderstorms are forecast or developing, the safest action is to get inside a substantial building or hard-topped vehicle before the storm arrives. Monitor weather conditions and plan outdoor activities around storm timing. When thunder roars, go indoors. This simple mantra from the National Weather Service could save your life.