A storm often comes unexpectedly and can catch a person almost anywhere. Ideally, it catches you at home, where it usually poses no risk. It is different, however, when a storm catches you in the forest, in an open area, or while hiking. Such a situation can be life-threatening, and almost every summer a human life is lost as a result of a lightning strike. What should you do, or rather not do, when a storm catches you outdoors?
How to find out how far away a storm is?
When a storm catches you outdoors, it is good to know how far away it is. You can find this out by counting the time between spotting the lightning and hearing the thunder. These two phenomena occur simultaneously during a storm, but sound travels significantly slower, at a speed of 330 m/s. You can calculate the approximate distance of the storm by multiplying the number of seconds between the flash and the thunder by the speed of sound in air, that is, the number 330. For example, if the number of seconds from the lightning to the thunder is 10, then the distance of the storm is calculated as 10 s x 330 meters = 3,300 meters. So the storm is over 3 kilometers away from you. If the time between the lightning and the thunder is less than 5 seconds, there is a danger and you should seek shelter immediately.
1. Quickly descend from mountain peaks
When a storm is approaching you in the forest or you are high up in the mountains, it is necessary to quickly descend from the ridge and mountain peaks into the valley. Mountain peaks are up to 10 times more likely to be struck by lightning. Even if you are 100 vertical meters below the ridge, there is still a great risk of being struck by lightning. Even mountain saddles are not safe during a storm.
2. Do not continue the hike
If the storm has not yet started and you hear thunder beginning in the distance, do not continue the hike in the belief that the storm will pass you by. Try to find suitable shelter or wait out the storm, if possible, in a safe place such as a mountain hut or a car.
3. Leave the open area
If a storm catches you outdoors in an open area, a field, or a meadow, find shelter. Lightning tends to strike an elevated point, which in a meadow is your standing figure. Look for a depression or a ditch in which to try to take shelter. Do not lie down on the ground; instead, crouch down with your feet and hands close together. Your feet should touch the ground with as small a surface area as possible.
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4. Do not seek shelter under a tree
A storm in the forest is very dangerous. Avoid taking shelter under a solitary tree in a meadow or field. You should keep a distance from solitary trees equal to their height. You can safely take shelter in a dense forest or grove, or in lower vegetation. Even deeper in the forest you are safer than at its edge. If you no longer have time to hide, find a smaller tree, and stay at least 2 meters away from its trunk. Keep your legs close together and insulate them from the wet ground surface. For example, sit on a backpack or other insulating material.
5. Turn off all electronics
Do not use a mobile phone, radio or GPS navigation. It's better to turn them off. It has not been confirmed that a mobile phone can attract lightning, but you certainly don't want to be the one who tests it. If a person is struck by lightning, the high resistance of human skin causes the current to travel across the skin and not cause serious internal injuries. However, this only applies in cases where there are no conductive materials in contact with the skin, such as a mobile phone. These allow the lightning to penetrate the body and cause injuries to internal organs.
6. Do not hide in a small cave
Do not hide in a small cave, overhang or recess before a storm. Even though such natural shelters are often tempting. If they are small, they are dangerous. Electric current can also flow inside a cavethis kind of enclosed environment is highly conductive, and you could be struck by ground current. A cave is only suitable if it is large enough for you to sit at least 1 m from the wall, while there should still be at least 3 m of free space above your head. Here too, insulate part of your body from the rock and ground with dry material, such as a backpack, sleeping bag or rubber coat.
7. Do not carry metal objects above your head
Do not carry metal objects that extend above your head during a storm. For example, an umbrella, skis, an ice axe, metal poles and similar items. These can induce an electric discharge and act as a lightning rod, so discard them during a storm. Other small metal objects that you have in your backpack or on your body do not affect the attraction of lightning. However, if you are struck by lightning and have something metal on your body, it will worsen the burns on your body. This, of course, also applies in cases where you would want to climb down from a rock before a storm and would touch chains attached to the rocks — we do not recommend that either.
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8. Do not run and do not walk
During a storm in nature, find a suitable shelter and definitely do not run or walk. It is recommended to stop any walking. Not that running attracts lightning, that's not it. The problem is not the speed of movement, but the length of the stride. The danger of electric shock lies in the body's contact with two points that have a different electric potential. This means that electric current passes through the body from one limb to anotherwhen a person has their arms spread out or their legs apart. Step voltage can occur when lightning strikes at such a distance from you that ground currents still exist at the place where you are located.
9. Take shelter in a car
A car will safely protect you from a lightning strike, as it acts as a Faraday cage. However, even inside it you must follow certain rules. Close the windows and doors and do not touch anything metal inside. In the event of a direct strike, lightning travels through the vehicle's frame and through the tires into the ground.
10. Stay away from water and bodies of water
A storm in the outdoors can be especially dangerous near bodies of water. You must not swim, and you should move at least 30 meters away from any body of water. Water is a good conductor of electricity, so avoid waterfalls, springs, and streams as well. Heavily soaked ground, puddles, and wet rocks are also dangerous. Electrical discharges can spread through soaked ground up to a distance of 300 meters, and such an electric strike can kill you.
11. Do not light a fire
When you take shelter from a storm, for example under a shelter, you must not light a fire. It is said that it can also attract lightning. And we have one more piece of advice for those caught in a storm outdoors or in the forest.
12. Elevated locations are dangerous
In the outdoors, lightning seeks the path of least resistance, and therefore strikes the highest and most conductive points. During a storm, elevated and protruding points in the surrounding area are very dangerous and you, of course, should not be the highest point in the terrain either. Isolated structures without lightning rods, power line poles, solitary trees, mountain ridges, hilltops, and similar features are especially dangerous. When several people are together, the distance between them should be more than 3 meters.
If you are caught in a storm outdoors, you need to realize that no place is absolutely safe. There are only places that are relatively safe. Therefore, do not underestimate the danger of lightning and try to take shelter in a way that minimizes the risk of being struck as much as possible.
