Hello..... those odds might be accurate if you are sitting in your living room, but the odds of being hit go way up when you are sitting in the middle of a soccer field during a storm.

Use some common sense.

I think it is you that lacks common sense. Given the statistics we've been talking about, fewer than 200 people are struck by lightning every year. This includes everyone who is sitting alone in the middle of soccer fields during thunderstorms. How many people do you think go outside in the middle of thunderstorms in year? It's still less than 200 of those people that get struck every year.

As everyone has already explained, you can take steps to reduce the risk of lightning strike, but in every case there are factors that are far more dangerous and likely to kill you that demand your attention.

The trouble with your statistic of 200 strikes is that its so general as to be near useless.
Those levels of risk are not the same as the odds. This is simply because lightning poses almost no danger to the majority of americans inside cars and buildings or on sheltered streets.

Lets say the war in iraq kills 400 americans each year.

If you don't differentiate the samples then you are saying the risk of being killed by the war in iraq while sitting in a rush hour traffic jam is the same as driving in a hummer on some iraqi street.

The levels of risk are not the same. It is not like you'll be sitting on a LA freeway and suddenly die in an IED attack. The same is true for the lightning, it is not like you'll be inside cooking dinner and suddenly be struck down by lightning. You are far more likely to die in an Iraqi IED attack when you are in iraq - you are far more likely to be struck by lightning when you are cycling through an open field while one is going on.

What you are doing, telling people it is no big deal to ride through a lightning storm is irresponsible.

What you're saying is ten times more useless. How many times do you find yourself commuting to work on your bike, "sitting in the middle of a soccer field?"

I think you'll find I'm not the idiot you seem to think I am. I understand that you have to differentiate between sample groups. I think that's actually what you're failing to do. The vast, vast majority of people riding their bikes are going to be doing so in cities, where they're surrounded by buildings and trees much taller than them.

Even when you take the extremely small subsection of cyclists who make a habit of riding through empty fields in major thunderstorms... That is still a subsection much more likely to be injured or killed by things other than lightning.

I also think you'll notice that I never said "it is no big deal to ride through a lightning storm." In fact, I've taken great pains in every single post to outline the very real dangers of riding in a thunderstorm—poor visibility, slick roads, gusting winds, flying debris, obstructions hidden by water and most importantly drivers that are also dealing with all of that crap. I guarantee that if you did a study of all cycling injuries/deaths sustained during storms, you'll find that well over 99% of the time, it had nothing to do with anyone or anything being struck by lightning. You see? I'm not telling anyone to go out riding in a thunderstorm—I'm telling them that riding in a thunderstorm is very dangerous, just not because of the threat lightning poses.

Come on folks, we can disagree without the name calling.

Here's my 2 cents:

There is no requirement for lightning deaths to be reported to any kind of authority (like car accidents are) so I would guess that more people actually die from lightning strikes than are included in these statistics.

A major reason that few people are killed by lightning is probably that most people don't go outdoors in electric storms. This would account for why so many golfers are hit by lightning--they are practically the only people who get caught outdoors when lightning strikes.

I don't think you should count on buildings and trees drawing the lightning away from you. Lightning can strike anywhere it wants to. Also, sometimes the electric charge "jumps" from a tree to a nearby human.

I know of a woman who suffered an indirect hit by lightning. She was a bigwig university administrator's daughter and was quite bright and sociable. The lightning strike affected her memory and some motor skills and I don't know if she ever regained her faculties. Lightning scares the crap out of me.

I've had some close calls, including an embarrassing incident in which I was walking the dog, and a stroke hit a tree about twenty feet from me--I just ran down the block after emitting an involuntary high squeal and dropping the leash. The dog simply galloped with me, enjoying her freedom and giving me a big doggy-smile. Another time, while on a cross-country vacation, I remember seeing a bright flash while in the back seat. My dad got out of the car and found a solder puddle on the hood where the antenna used to be. That was the vacation I was almost wiped out by a waterspout that took out some motel roofs . . .

Well I rode home in a lightning storm 2 days ago, but not on purpose. There wasn't any lightning when I left. It scared me.. next time I may wait or call the wife with her van.

I had some hail come down on me last week. Hurt like a sonofa***** when it hit my arms. The lightning, thunder and wind scarred me a little too.

lol--scarred you or scared you?

oops. Yeah, scared, thankfully not scarred.

Sounds like you were going to fast for conditions. At the rate lightning travels, it doesn't matter if you're standing still or going 20 mph; it looks like zero to a lightning bolt either way.

Tomorrow we may have a thunderstorm and I won't be venturing out if it does rain. I'm a chicken at heart. bok bok

I used to ride regularly in the Everglades in south Florida, and I remember on particular afternoon when a very nasty thunderstorm blew up around me. I had been on a 100 mile ride, and the day started out sunny and hot, the typical 90-odd degree with 100% humid kind of day that begins in June and runs through September.

The ride was miserable, and I had sweated so much that my black shorts had turned mostly wide from dried salt, and I had salt crystals on my face and legs. I was praying for clouds and a cool breeze as I turned around for my 50 mile return trip. Someone was listening because after awhile clouds began forming quickly. The shade they provided felt quite good, but then I could hear thunder starting to rumble.

Within minutes lightning was crashing everywhere, and incredible amounts of rain began to fall. I was blinded by salt and sweat washing into my eyes from under my helmet, and the roadway was quickly covered with 3 inches of water. Riding through the Everglades amongst the sugar plantations I was the tallest thing around. There were no trees, nor were there any poles or other tall objects, only the occasional speed limit sign. To say I was a little worried was an understatement, but the cold and wet helped, and I picked up my pace, pushing myself until I got to the highway interchange, which allowed me to sit out the rest of the storm under a bridge.

Lighting has a major role in Power generation..

How so?

Around here it plays a major part...it knocks the power out and burns up transformers!

Aaron

There has been a talk that, whether it is possible to store energy from lighting or not...
At present there are many no's and yes's, but at the future there may a possible way to do it!!

My friend was just talking about this the other day. He said if you are outside in a thunderstorm and you taste something metal in your mouth/throat get the hell out of the way since lightning is headed your way.

We were joking about it since I don't think there is any way to avoid it once the cloud put a red dot on you. Probably only a split second difference.

You don't have to move far to avoid a direct hit, another giveaway is if your hair stands up and you feel a tingle, a quick dive could be a life saver. FWIW I have installed many a UL list Lightning Protection system as well as been too close to too many strikes over the years. I love a good thunderstorm and enjoy watching a good lightning show, just don't want to be close to a strike.

The metallic taste and the tingling are signs of the charge building up, you do still have time to move, not much, but some. Sad part is most people wouldn't know what it was and be able to act on it.

Aaron

Yup, when i was almost struck I dove for cover, I was still hit but, not directly. I immediately recognized the feeling of all the hair standing up on your body and managed to get away because there was something to dive under... There are a couple different types of lightning though, not all give you the warning. Cloud to ground is the most dangerous by far as it can strike a a few kilometers away. If you are caught out, crouch into a ball - don't lay flat - by being in a ball your organs are protected from being burnt since the majority of the current will flow over your surface not through you.

So is the pre charge like a gps coordinate? If you mange to dive out of the way it will strike where you *were*. Or does it still follow you and maybe diving near or around another object kinda confuse it enough to maybe attract to that?

With the adrenaline pumping, I could probably dive and roll 10 yards if I think lightning is coming for me. But good to know if its just best to dive flat out the way as far as possible, or dive for cover/ protection.

This is good stuff. Had my friend never said anything, or me seeing this thread would have no idea about this.

There is no sure answer, typically the bolt flows over the highest object in the immediate area - why people say not to take cover under a tree in the middle of a field... if there are multiple high objects, who knows. The warning it is coming well under a second, so you'll probably just do whatever because it won't be a conscious decision, you can for sure feel the build-up - in my experience.