Home
>
Outdoors
>
Protection from Lightning - Smart Strategies for Hikers and All Outdoor Enthusiasts

Protection from Lightning - Smart Strategies for Hikers and All Outdoor Enthusiasts

Prevention is your best protection against lightning. Be sure to check your local weather report before you head outside. Learn how to read the sky and where to run for cover. Lightning can and does strike in the same place twice, do not make yourself vulnerable by becoming a target.

Reading the Sky Stay aware of the sky above you with your eyes and ears. To estimate how far away a lightening storm is, count the time between the lightning flash and the sound of thunder. Every five seconds difference in time equals one mile in distance. If you hear thunder 12 seconds after you see a flash, the lightning struck just over 2 miles away (2 2/5 miles).

Things and Places to Avoid

If lightning is moving toward you, stay away from: Fences, metal pipes, clotheslines, power lines, rails and other metallic paths that could carry lightning to you from a distance.
Natural lightning rods such as a tall isolated tree in an open area.
Metal objects you may be holding or carrying (bicycles, ski poles, golf clubs, etc.).
Isolated sheds or other small structures in open areas.

Safe Havens The preferred (safest) place to be during a lightning storm is inside a home, large building or a car (but, never a convertible).

If you are miles from a suitable shelter, you must seek refuge in low areas away from tall objects such as trees, towers, or mountain ridges.
In flat country, head for dense woods, ravines or large groves of young trees.
For shelter in the forest, find a low area under a thick growth of small trees.
If you are caught in an open area, crouch in a low place like a valley or ravine. Be watchful of flash floods.

Stuck in the Storm To do your best to avoid injury:

Get on your hands and knees - just drop to your knees and bend forward. Never lie flat on the ground.
Use whatever insulation you may have available. Attempt to have as little of your body touching the ground as possible. Crouch on a log or your sleeping bag or foam pad.
Get out of your tent if it contains metal poles or other parts.
If your hair starts to stand on end, act quickly because lightning is about to strike.

Karen B. Cohen is a performance and wellness coach living in a college town in rural Virginia. A lifelong outdoor enthusiast, Karen enjoys a variety of pursuits in the Upper Shenandoah Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains. She is an expert yoga instructor and occasionally leads yoga hikes near her home. She is available for seminars, workshops and individual coaching, and can be reached through her latest project http://www.rockbridgemag.com (Karen@RockbridgeMag.com).

kitchen deep cleaning Deerfield

In The News:

Airport workers report surge in fake lost luggage claims as scammers retrieve discarded baggage tags containing passenger names and travel information.

Unlike robotaxi competitors, Tensor focuses on consumer-owned self-driving cars that adapt to highways and urban roads with full redundancy systems for safety.

Medicare scams cost $54 billion in 2024 as fraudsters target beneficiaries with fake calls demanding payments and personal information to steal benefits.

Scammers create fake Evite invitations that mimic legitimate event emails, requiring users to verify senders and use antivirus software for protection.

The new Apple Watch hypertension feature passively monitors blood pressure patterns over 30 days using sensors to detect chronic high blood pressure signs.

Chrome extension spyware disguised as a free VPN service highlights security risks after it captured private browsing data from trusted sites.

New research shows how fatty acids in cooking oil can safely dissolve and recover silver from circuit boards without harmful chemicals or environmental damage.

The Fox News AI newsletter gives you information on the latest AI technology advancements, and about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Anthropic investigates alarming AI abuse case where hacker automated entire cybercrime campaign using Claude, stealing sensitive data from defense and healthcare firms.

TikTok, Meta and YouTube restrict Charlie Kirk shooting videos with age gates and warnings while X faces criticism for allowing continued circulation.

Cybercriminals use fake troubleshooting websites to trick Mac users into running terminal commands that install Shamos malware through ClickFix tactics.

San Francisco startup Fable launches Showrunner, an AI platform dubbed the 'Netflix of AI' that generates animated episodes from text descriptions with Amazon support.

Apple raised iPhone prices for some models despite receiving tariff relief from President Donald Trump, with the new lineup starting at $799 for the base model.

A two-story 3D concrete printed home in Western Australia demonstrates faster construction methods that could reshape American housing amid rising costs.

Credit scores remain important during retirement for insurance rates and housing applications, while seniors become prime targets for identity theft and financial scams.

Scammers now send unexpected packages with QR codes that redirect victims to fraudulent websites or download malicious software to steal sensitive information.

Meeting AI tools record private conversations alongside work discussions, creating privacy risks that can be managed with proper settings and awareness.

Hotel privacy concerns are valid but rare, with methods to detect hidden tech using smartphone flashlights, mirror tests and scanning apps.

Improve your Wi-Fi speed and reliability with 10 simple router optimization tips that don't require special apps or expensive subscriptions.

A Columbia University breach exposed names, Social Security numbers and academic records of nearly 869,000 people, with notifications beginning in August.

Rental car drivers use AI-powered apps like Proofr to protect themselves from unfair damage fees as major companies deploy automated inspection tools.

Fox News' AI newsletter brings you the latest on technology advancements around artificial intelligence.

OnTrac data breach between April 13-15, 2025, exposed personal information of over 40,000 people including Social Security numbers and medical records.

A woman named Wika announces her engagement to an AI chatbot sparking worldwide debate about virtual relationships and technology.

The notorious people search site National Public Data relaunches despite a previous breach affecting 3 billion individuals, raising fresh privacy concerns.

Protection from Lightning - Smart Strategies for Hikers and All Outdoor Enthusiasts

Outdoors