Head to shelter in an enclosed building as soon as you hear thunder or see the tell-tale clouds rolling in. If you are in a hiking group, it’s best to split up if you can’t find shelter. Adopt the Habit of Coming Prepared. The same way you double-check for your hiking poles or water supply, check the weather conditions of where you plan to hike. Lightning should be avoided at all costs by evacuating the area as soon as you see signs of a storm. Let us go through some FAQs while hiking in scattered lightning and thunderstorms. Is it dangerous to hike during a thunderstorm?
How do you survive a lightning storm on a hike?
Assuming you are on a hike away from buildings when a lightning storm catches up with you, use these lightning safety guidelines: Do NOT seek shelter under a picnic shelter, lone tree, or other object to keep you dry. It will attract lightning. Come down from high places. Seek a valley or depression in the terrain.
My favorite answer was in order to stay safe while hiking in a thunderstorm you should avoid mountain peaks and big open spaces. Lose as much height as possible and try to find cover. When looking for cover, make sure to also think about rain and rock slides. A forest with low trees makes an ideal thunderstorm shelter.
What to do in a lightning storm?
Move to a lower elevation. Lightning is much more likely to strike objects at higher elevations. Do what you can do get as low as possible. Avoid large open spaces where you are taller than anything else around you, like a golf course or soccer field. Stay away from isolated objects such as trees and light posts. Get away from unprotected vehicles, such as golf carts, and unprotected structures, such as picnic shelters. Avoid long metal structures, i., and e., and bleachers.
Lose as much height as possible and try to find cover. When looking for cover, make sure to also think about rain and rock slides. A forest with low trees makes an ideal thunderstorm shelter. There is a simple way to calculate how far away the lightning is.
Thunder is the sound caused by a nearby flash of lightning and can be heard for a distance of only about 10 miles from the lightning strike. The sound of thunder should serve as a warning to anyone outside that they are within striking distance of the storm and need to get to a safe place immediately!
What should you never do in a lightning storm?
Never take a bath or shower during a thunderstorm. Use a Landline. While it is safe to use a cellphone (if it’s not plugged into a wall charger, that is) during a thunderstorm, it is not safe to use Stand Out in the Open. Do laundry, lie down on the ground, or keep your computer plugged in as well are a few extra things to examine.
Another frequent question is “What things do you avoid if lightning storm approaches?”.
Open vehicles, like golf carts, ATVs, and riding mowers, are not safe during lightning storms. Seek shelter indoors. Convertibles are less safe than other cars in thunderstorms. Starting your car is generally safe during a thunderstorm, but do not under any circumstances jump your car until the storm has passed.
Worldwide, 16 million lightning storms occur every year—2,000 of those storms are happening simultaneously at any given moment—and it’s more than just a spectacular natural light They’re Underrated and Unpredictable. Some additional things to examine: lightning makes every thunderstorm a potential killer, and not restricted to thunderstorms.
What should I do if I see lightning in my area?
Always find a substantial, closed shelter in which you can ride out the storm, whether you see lightning or not, long before it reaches you. In mountainous areas, thunderstorms typically develop in the early afternoon.