Lightning is a natural phenomenon that often occurs when it starts to rain or during storms. However, if you are struck by lightning, it can be life-threatening. Here are some harmful misconceptions about lightning that could cost you your life.
Common Misconceptions About Lightning
- 1. Lightning never strikes the same place twice
- 2. Lightning is only dangerous when it rains
- 3. Wearing headphones makes you a target for lightning
- 4. The 30/30 Rule
- 5. The rubber tires of a car will protect you
- 6. It is completely safe to move around inside a house
- 7. Humans can store electricity
- 8. “Greased Lightning” is a type of lightning
- 9. If you are outside, lie down
- 10. Benjamin Franklin and the kite
1. Lightning never strikes the same place twice
This may sound interesting, but it is not true. Lightning strikes multiple times at various locations. For example, the Empire State Building has been used as a lightning experiment site due to its unique ability to attract natural electrical charges from the atmosphere. A long metal rod was attached to the top of the building (444 meters tall) to draw in lightning, and the building is struck by lightning between 25 to 100 times a year.
Furthermore, tall buildings tend to attract lightning more because during a storm, charged objects on the ground create conflicts with the electrical charges in clouds.
2. Lightning is only dangerous when it rains
You can be struck by lightning even when the weather is dry. According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, lightning typically strikes within 5 kilometers of a storm. Experts have even named certain types of lightning, such as “Blue Sprites”—a type that forms above storm clouds, resembling a shooting star and traveling in the ionosphere approximately 40 to 80 kilometers above the ground, or “Elves”, which appear as a faint light similar to an explosion with a diameter of about 402 kilometers but lasts only a millisecond.
3. Wearing headphones makes you a target for lightning
When wearing headphones, you might get lost in the music and start singing, which can annoy those around you, especially on public transport. However, wearing headphones does not make you a target for lightning. Whether you are likely to be struck depends on your height, just like the case of the Empire State Building. So, if you are under 30 meters tall, you can enjoy your music on the go without worry. Additionally, the headphone cords can help divert lightning away from your heart.
4. The 30/30 Rule
This rule suggests that you should start counting after seeing a flash of lightning. If you hear thunder within 30 seconds, you should quickly seek shelter indoors. Then, wait about 30 minutes after the storm has passed before going outside. Currently, experts no longer apply this rule because lightning strikes are not easily predictable. Instead, head indoors or find a sheltered place immediately upon hearing thunder. However, waiting 30 minutes after the storm has passed is still a good idea.
5. The rubber tires of a car will protect you
Cars are relatively safe and sensible places to shelter during a storm. Most vehicles have tires made of rubber. But do not be mistaken; the tires alone do not make cars a safe haven.
The truth is that a few inches of rubber in the tires cannot prevent you from being struck by lightning. What makes a car a safe place to shelter is that it is enclosed on all sides. Therefore, motorcycles and similar vehicles are not suitable for use during storms, even if they have rubber tires.
6. It is completely safe to move around inside a house
Being indoors with four walls and a roof is certainly safer than being outside, but that does not mean lightning won’t strike when you are near windows. In fact, we should stay away from doors and windows as much as possible, as well as any areas where lightning could strike. It is also best to avoid electrical appliances while inside. Try to unplug devices like TVs, computers, or other electric equipment.
Lightning can still strike through wiring in your house. This means it can travel through electrical systems, plumbing, and even the water in pipes. Using a landline phone, taking a shower, or working on a desktop computer or with electrical tools during a thunderstorm can be just as dangerous as being outside. It is best to stay away from all water and plugged-in devices until the storm has passed, according to Reader’s Digest.
7. Humans can store electricity
Some people often act as if they are storing electricity in their bodies. If you directly witness someone being struck by lightning, you might think that person has become electrically charged, but in reality, a person struck by lightning does not store electricity. Although lightning can cause cardiac arrest, burns, and nerve damage, most lightning strike victims can survive if they receive timely medical attention.
8. “Greased Lightning” is a type of lightning
“Greased Lightning” is the name of a song. “Greased” is also a metaphor for things that happen very quickly. For example, when Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt won the 200m athletics event in London, he was compared to “Greased Lightning.”
This term was first used in English newspapers in the 19th century, with a report from 1833 stating, “He speaks as fast as ‘Greased Lightning.’
9. If you are outside, lie down
Being caught outside during a storm is indeed frightening. Some people simply feel helpless and curl up in a fetal position and cry. The good news is that this is quite close to what experts recommend we do.
When lightning strikes, it can send a charge of electricity as far as 30 meters down to the ground. Therefore, if we lie flat on the ground, it is dangerous. The best course of action is to sit down, hug your knees, bend forward, and cover your ears, keeping your body in contact with the ground as little as possible.
10. Benjamin Franklin and the kite
Since 1752, Benjamin Franklin began exploring the truth about lightning. This inventor, statesman, and scholar created a kite using a large silk handkerchief stretched across two sticks, attached to a metal wire connected to a twisted strand and a key hanging above it. He conducted this experiment during a heavy storm and discovered the nature of lightning.
However, many people believe it may not have happened. Skeptics have pointed to a lack of evidence supporting Franklin’s experimental hypothesis. There were no witnesses to the event, only Franklin’s vague accounts.
