Lightning strikes can be dangerous, even when a storm is several miles away. A phenomenon called "bolt from the blue" refers to lightning that strikes well outside a thunderstorm, up to ten miles away. If you can hear thunder, you're within striking distance of a potential lightning strike, even if the storm seems far away.
According to the National Weather Service, lightning is the second leading cause of weather-related fatalities in the U.S., causing more deaths annually than hurricanes or tornadoes. Only floods result in more weather-related deaths each year.
While lightning strikes are often survivable, they can lead to serious injury. Approximately 90% of those struck survive, but may experience memory loss, chronic pain, sleep disturbances, and neurological impairments. These long-term effects can be both painful and permanently disabling.
Statistically, lightning strike victims are most likely to be:
- Struck during the months of June, July, or August
- Male
- Struck between 2:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M.
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