August 21, 2022 – There are undoubtedly more pressing dangers than being hit by lightning: The chance of being struck is less than one in a million. The National Weather Service has a simple but effective slogan: “When thunder roars, go indoors.”
“The most important thing is that you’re safe inside of a large substantial building or a fully enclosed, metal-top vehicle,” Ron Holle, a meteorologist and lightning safety specialist at the National Lightning Safety Council, told CNN. “Anywhere outside of those two locations is not safe.”
If you hear thunder while camping or at the beach, without access to a large building, you should seek shelter in your vehicle immediately. You should wait 30 minutes from the last time you heard thunder to leave the vehicle, according to the weather service.
