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Lightning strikes South Carolina lake, sending 18 people to the hospital
How to Protect Yourself During a Lightning Strike: Essential Safety Tips That Can Save Lives
Lightning strikes are powerful, unpredictable, and extremely dangerous. Each year, lightning causes injuries, fires, power surges, and even fatalities across the United States—especially in storm-prone states like Florida, Texas, South Carolina, and Louisiana. Knowing how to protect yourself during a lightning strike can significantly reduce the risk of serious injury or death.
Whether you are at home, outdoors, or inside a commercial building, understanding proper lightning safety measures is critical. This guide explains what to do before, during, and after a lightning storm to stay safe.
Why Lightning Is So Dangerous
A single lightning strike can carry millions of volts of electricity and temperatures hotter than the surface of the sun. Lightning can:
- Cause severe burns and cardiac arrest
- Start fires in homes and buildings
- Damage electrical systems and appliances
- Travel through plumbing, wiring, and metal objects
Because lightning can strike miles away from a storm, it’s important to take precautions as soon as thunder is heard.
What to Do During a Lightning Storm
- Seek Shelter Immediately
The safest place during a lightning storm is inside a fully enclosed building with wiring and plumbing, or a hard-topped vehicle with the windows closed.
Avoid:
- Open structures like sheds or pavilions
- Tents or picnic shelters
- Porches or balconies
If you hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck.
- Stay Away from Electrical Systems and Plumbing
Lightning can travel through conductive materials inside a building.
During a storm:
- Avoid using corded phones
- Do not touch electrical appliances
- Stay away from plumbing, sinks, showers, and bathtubs
Waiting until the storm passes reduces the risk of lightning traveling through wiring or pipes.
- Avoid Windows, Doors, and Concrete
Windows and doors can shatter from pressure changes or electrical surges. Concrete walls and floors may contain metal reinforcement that can conduct electricity.
Stay in interior rooms away from:
- Windows and glass doors
- Concrete floors or walls
- Metal objects
Lightning Safety Outdoors
- Get to Safety If You Are Outside
If you are outdoors and cannot reach a safe building:
- Avoid open fields and hilltops
- Stay away from tall trees, poles, and towers
- Do not lie flat on the ground
If no shelter is available, crouch low with your feet together and minimize contact with the ground until help or shelter becomes available.
- Stay Away from Water
Water conducts electricity, making lakes, pools, oceans, and rivers extremely dangerous during lightning storms.
If lightning is present:
- Get out of swimming pools immediately
- Leave boats and docks
- Avoid fishing or water sports
Many lightning injuries occur near water.
Protecting Yourself at Home and Work
- Install a Lightning Protection System
A professionally installed lightning protection system helps safely direct lightning energy into the ground, reducing the risk of fire and structural damage.
Lightning protection systems are especially important for:
- Homes in high-risk storm regions
- Commercial buildings
- Facilities with sensitive electrical equipment
While no system can prevent lightning, proper protection greatly reduces damage and injury risk.
- Use Surge Protection
Surge protection devices work alongside lightning protection systems to help protect electronics from power surges caused by lightning strikes.
This helps protect:
- Computers and electronics
- HVAC systems
- Appliances and electrical panels
What to Do After a Lightning Strike
- Check for fires or smoke
- Avoid damaged electrical systems
- Call emergency services if anyone is injured
- Schedule a professional inspection of your lightning protection system
Even if damage is not immediately visible, hidden electrical issues can develop after a lightning strike.
Why Lightning Safety Awareness Matters
Many lightning-related injuries occur because people underestimate the danger or delay seeking shelter. Education, preparedness, and proper building protection are the most effective ways to reduce lightning-related injuries and property damage.
Stay Protected from Lightning Year-Round
Lightning storms are a fact of life in many parts of the country, but serious injuries and damage don’t have to be. Knowing how to protect yourself during a lightning strike—and ensuring your property has proper lightning protection—can make all the difference.
If you are concerned about lightning safety at your home or business, contact a professional lightning protection provider to learn more about inspection, maintenance, and protection solutions designed to keep people and property safe.
