In the previous few months, there have been a number of information tales about hikers being struck by lightning. Two hikers in Arizona have been hit in October 2025. In early August, two have been hit whereas climbing within the Kettle Moraine State Forest close to Jefferson, Wisconsin. My spouse and I’ve hiked that precise space a number of instances through the years.
Staying Out of Lightning’s Path
Whereas someplace round 90% of people who find themselves struck by lightning survive, I’d nonetheless moderately keep away from discovering out what it seems like. Even when you survive, you may find yourself with extreme accidents and neurological harm. With that in thoughts, let’s have a look at some security precautions.
Watch the Forecast
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This feels like a no brainer, however I’ve recognized greater than a few individuals who like to go off on a hike on the drop of a hat. No planning, no consideration for the climate. Whereas this is perhaps completely cheap more often than not, it solely takes a second to examine the forecast.
If stormy climate is on the horizon, perhaps keep dwelling till the storm danger has handed. Storms can transfer in shortly, and also you won’t have time to get to shelter earlier than it hits.
Estimating Distance
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Even the very best meteorologists get it incorrect typically. If you end up out on the path when unhealthy climate threatens, all isn’t misplaced. If you happen to see a lightning flash, start counting seconds. Each 5 seconds is one mile that the sound has traveled from the lightning strike. This can provide you an estimate as to how far-off the storm is out of your location.
This data, in flip, will help you perceive how a lot time you might have earlier than the storm will likely be upon you. That stated, you may nonetheless get nailed by lightning from a storm that’s a number of miles away.
Keep away from Remoted Tree Cowl
When lightning strikes are occurring, you don’t need to be the tallest factor round. The corollary to that’s you don’t need to be standing subsequent to or underneath the tallest factor round.
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Direct lightning strikes, which means lightning truly popping out of the sky and hitting a hiker like they’ve one way or the other earned the ire of Zeus himself, are fairly uncommon. Nonetheless, floor present strikes occur much more usually. That’s when lightning hits, say, a tree, and the present travels down the tree and thru the bottom to zap the hiker standing too shut.
The place to Go?
Pay attention, when you’re outdoors throughout a lightning storm, you’re in danger. However there are some things you are able to do to extend your security.
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If you end up in a foul state of affairs, your greatest guess is to hunt decrease floor, get underneath the quilt of a gaggle of timber which might be about the identical peak, and wait it out. Regardless of myths on the contrary, tents supply no inherent safety from lightning, nor do sleep mats and the like. Keep away from caves in addition to our bodies of water. The latter consists of trails which have grow to be shallow streams through the storm. Electrical present doesn’t want deep water to nail you.
Lightning strikes aren’t an enormous danger, offered you’re taking some commonsense precautions.
