National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

Section 1: Outdoor Lightning Safety - When a Safe Location is Nearby

The key to outdoor lightning safety when a safe location is nearby is knowing the answer to the following 2 questions:

1) How far away am I (or the group of people who I am responsible for) from a safe location? and,

2) How long will it take me (or my group) to get to the safe location?

These questions need to be answered before lightning storms threaten. By knowing the answer to the above questions will greatly increase your chances of not becoming a lightning strike victim.

There may be times when you will be in an area (such as hiking in remote areas) where there is no nearby safe location. We will discuss these situations in the second section of this document.

The "30/30" Lightning Safety Rule

The "30/30" lightning safety rule is defined as the following:

1) It is strongly recommended that you should seek safe shelter when you first hear thunder, observe lightning or see dark threatening clouds developing overhead. You should already be in a safe location when the time between the lightning flash and the rumble of thunder is 30 seconds or less.

2) You should not resume activities until after 30 minutes after the last audible thunder.

Click here to calculate how far lightning is away from you

An important thing to remember: Sometimes lightning storms can develop overhead. This means that the first lightning strike from the cloud might be in your immediate location. It is recommended that you should be alert for developing thunderclouds overhead when outdoors. If you see thunderclouds developing or darkening skies overhead, you should implement your lightning safety plan of action.

In addition, there are times when a lightning flash can travel horizontally many miles away from the thunderstorm cloud itself and then strike the ground. These types of lightning flashes are called "Bolts from the Blue" The reason why they are called "Bolts from the Blue" is because they appear to come out of a clear blue sky. Although these flashes are very, very infrequent, they have been known to cause fatalities. Click here for more information about "Bolts from the Blue".

Lightning Safety Guidelines

The following lightning safety guidelines are broken down for individuals, small groups and large groups. These safety guidlines are for those who are outside and a safe location is nearby. It is recommended that you read all of the safety guidelines.

Lightning Safety Guidelines: For Individuals

Lightning Safety Guidelines: For small groups (less than 10 people)

Lightning Safety Guidelines: For Large Groups

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First Aid Information for Lightning Strike Victims

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