Lightning Safety: A Beginner-Friendly Start
Lightning Safety: the few things that matter most, and the mistakes that catch people out early.
How to protect yourself from lightning during thunderstorms.
Key takeaways
- Rule of thumb: when thunder roars, go indoors
- Safe shelter: an enclosed building with plumbing and wiring, or a hard-topped metal vehicle with windows closed
- Most useful single change: Check the forecast before outdoor activities and plan where you will shelter.
- Commonest mistake: Sheltering under a tree.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
Why bother
No place outdoors is safe when thunder can be heard, and many lightning injuries happen to people who were close to shelter.
Start here
Two things, and nothing else until both feel routine.
- Check the forecast before outdoor activities and plan where you will shelter
- Head indoors as soon as you hear thunder
Then add these
Next, once the first two have stopped feeling like effort.
- Stay off corded phones and away from plumbing and electrical equipment during a storm
- Learn CPR so you can help someone who has been struck
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Rule of thumb | when thunder roars, go indoors |
| Safe shelter | an enclosed building with plumbing and wiring, or a hard-topped metal vehicle with windows closed |
| Not safe | open shelters, tents, picnic pavilions, under trees |
| Wait time | stay inside until 30 minutes after the last thunder |
| Victims | people struck by lightning do not carry an electric charge and are safe to touch |
Common early mistakes
- Sheltering under a tree
- Staying in or near water during a thunderstorm
- Returning outside as soon as the rain stops
Related topics
- CPR and Defibrillation: What the Evidence Actually Says (Emergency Care)
- Hearing and the Brain: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise (Brain Health)
- What the Guidance Really Says About Opioid Overdose and Naloxone (Substance Use and Recovery)
- What the Guidance Really Says About Air Pollution and the AQI (Environmental Health)
Where to go next
- Lightning Safety: A Practical Checklist
- Popular Beliefs About Lightning Safety, and What Is Actually Published
- Lightning Safety — the reference entry
- Weather Safety: The Complete Guide
- What the Guidance Really Says About Flood Water Safety
- What the Guidance Really Says About Older Adults and Extreme Weather
When to speak to a doctor
Call 911 right away for anyone struck by lightning. If they are not breathing or have no pulse, start CPR and use an AED if one is available.
Where this comes from
- CDC — Lightning Safety
- American Red Cross — Thunderstorm Safety
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.
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