Don't Get Struck By Lightning

July 8, 2009

Interview with John S. Friedman, author of Out of the Blue: A History of Lightning: Science, Superstition, and Amazing Stories of Survival
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Mike Carruthers:
Your chances of being struck by lightning this year are one in seven hundred and fifty thousand.

John S. Friedman:
Height is very important; if you're the highest object in an area it's likely that you're going to be struck. 

John S. Friedman

 John S. Friedman, author of the book Out of the Blue: A History of Lightning: Science, Superstition, and Amazing Stories of Survival...

Also where you're standing, if you're standing in a puddle of water it's likely that you're going to be struck. That is if the lightning is going to strike anywhere around you.

If you're not near a building when lightning strikes getting into your car is a good idea.

But it's not because of the tires, it's because of the metal rim of the automobile which makes the lightning go around the car (that is the surface of the car) and not penetrate inside.

When you're outdoors and see lightning John says, use the 30/30 rule.

Which is that if you see lightning, count to thirty seconds and if the thunder blast is less than thirty seconds you should take immediate shelter. Once you see a final blast of lightning or a final strike you should wait thirty minutes until you don't see another and then you can resume your activities.

Ever wonder why no one ever talks about harnessing the power of lightning?

Really lightning can power a hundred-watt bulb for about three months but doesn't have enough energy to power even a small town for a short period of time.

To listen to the complete unedited interview, click here.