By Mandy Gaither
Published: Aug. 24, 2022 at 11:45 AM MDT
(CNN) - The chance of being struck by lightning in a given year is less than one in a million, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, a few recent high-profile cases have made it clear lightning is dangerous and can be deadly.
It comes and goes in a flash, but lightning can strike anywhere.
Most people survive a lightning strike but can face serious health issues.
So far, 14 people have died from lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service.
Ron Holle with the National Lightning Safety Council said you can lower your risk by going inside when you hear thunder.
“Don’t ask questions,” Holle said. “Simply go to a large, substantial building or a fully enclosed metal-topped vehicle.”
A lightning-safe structure is one that has grounded wiring and plumbing, like most homes and buildings in the U.S.
Places like tents, sheds, dugouts and picnic shelters are not safe from lightning strikes, according to experts. They also recommend you should stay away from porches or balconies during a storm and things that may conduct electricity like corded electrical devices.
“You don’t want to be touching the water running in the sink or in the shower or the bathtub – those are conductors,” Holle said. “It happens quite often that people are injured by that, but it’s usually not fatal.”
Trees and lightning are a dangerous combination. Holle said the strike can hit a tree and conduct ground current to a victim.
There can also be a side flash, where the tree is hit and a portion of the current hits someone near it. Or lightning can cause the bark or a limb to explode.
“They only last a few tenths of a second,” Holle said, referring to a lightning strike. “But during that time they’re incredibly strong.”
If getting indoors isn’t possible, there are still a few things that may slightly lessen your risk.
In a thunderstorm, avoid open fields, the top of a hill, or a ridge top, the National Weather Service said. Likewise, you should stay away from tall, isolated objects like trees, and immediately leave any bodies of water.
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