Weather Flash: Protecting yourself when lightning strikes

WASHINGTON ( DC News Now ) — Summer is a great time to head outside and enjoy the outdoors. However, it is also the most dangerous season for lightning.

Lightning can be dangerous and deadly if you do not properly protect yourself. Often, meteorologists say when thunder roars, go indoors, and that’s because lightning can strike between 10 and 12 miles away from the parent storm.

Lightning is an electrical charge that occurs between the cloud and the ground (Cloud- to-Ground Lightning) or within the cloud (Intra Cloud Lightning).

As the storm is forming, ice and water droplets within the cloud begin to collide. This collision creates positive and negative charges within the cloud.

Energy from the negative charge meets with the positive charge and creates a flash.

As lightning passes through the atmosphere it heats the air very quickly which causes the air to expand.

This creates a loud sound wave that we hear as thunder. Again, you can hear thunder about 10 miles away from a lightning strike.

Which is why you always hear the saying when thunder roars go indoors. If you hear thunder that means you are in striking distance of lightning.

Fun fact: Lightning is hotter than the surface of the sun! Temperatures within a stroke could reach up to 50,000°F! It tends to strike the tallest object in any open space, but there is a possibility that it will hit the lowest spot.

If you catch yourself outside during a lightning storm, the best thing for you to do is head inside.

A good rule of thumb is once you are inside, you should wait at least 30 minutes after you hear the last rumble of thunder before returning to any outside activities.

According to the National Lightning Safety Council , the United States typically sees about 20-25 million cloud-to-ground lightning flashes every year.

Some of these flashes have the potential to be deadly. In fact, as of July 20, 2024, there have been 6 deaths from lightning. However, none of the deaths occurred in the DMV or Mid- Atlantic.

So stay safe this summer season, but most importantly, have fun!

Safety tips:

• When thunder roars, head indoors. Find somewhere inside, like a building, car, or place with a roof.
• Avoid being in or near the water and using running water
• Avoid using electronics that are connected to an electrical outlet
• Pay attention to alerts and warnings

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