Lightning Safety: When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors
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The National Weather Service's message is simple: When thunder roars, go indoors. If you can hear thunder, you're close enough to be struck. Lightning can strike as far as 10 miles from the storm.
Safe shelter
- A substantial building with electricity or plumbing.
- A hard-topped metal vehicle with the windows up.
Picnic shelters, tents, dugouts and open-sided structures do not protect you.
Wait 30 minutes
Stay inside until 30 minutes after the last thunder you hear.
If you're caught outside
There's no safe place outdoors during a thunderstorm. If you can't reach shelter, NWS advises you to reduce your risk:
- Get off elevated areas such as hills, ridges and peaks.
- Never lie flat on the ground, and never shelter under an isolated tree.
- Stay away from water, and from objects that conduct electricity, such as wire fences and power lines.
- If you're in a group, spread out.
Indoors
Avoid corded phones, plumbing (showers, baths, sinks) and electrical equipment you're touching, and stay away from windows and doors.
If someone is struck
Call 911. Lightning victims don't carry an electrical charge and are safe to touch, so start CPR if needed.
Related guides
Your World Weather Radar
The app's lightning layer shows strikes from NOAA satellite lightning data, and it can alert you when lightning is near.
Sources
Hunt smarter with Your World Hunt
- 🧭 Hunting map with GPS return and directions
- 💨 Wind, barometric pressure, moon and sun times, plus deer feeding times (Premium)
- 🗺️ Trip Planner with Ask Hawk and Top spots: public refuges and private lodges near you
- 🎧 Guides with a Listen button, in English and Spanish
Last reviewed November 2026. General information only; follow official guidance in an emergency.