Zapped!

How to survive a lightning strike

- Paul Donovan

When I’m out in the bush and a storm is brewing, I am reminded of a friend who was struck by a bolt of lightning, and his eardrums burst. I suppose he was one of the fortunate ones, because he survived. In South Africa, an average of 260 people are killed each year by lightning strikes, and many more are injured, but survive. So, how do you avoid being hit by a bolt of lightning?

Before we start, let’s dispel a myth. Firstly, you need to understand that nothing ‘attracts’ lightning. So, being outdoors and wielding a knife will not necessarily increase your risk of being zapped by a bolt of lightning. The location of the thunderstorm overhead is what determines where lightning hits the ground.

A bolt of lightning is generated several kilometres high in the atmosphere, and will be several kilometres in length before it hits the ground, so is not influenced by the knife you are holding. In other words, a bolt won’t jump several hundred metres just because you are holding the knife. If you happen to be holding a knife while in the direct path of that strike when it was generated – well, then, that’s a different story.

How far away?

First let’s look at how far away the thunderstorm is. As a general rule, you can hear thunder at a distance of 16km, and can determine how far you are from a thunderstorm by using your watch, or counting. After a flash of lightning, count the number of seconds it takes before you hear the clap of thunder.