Lightning can strike in different ways; how they happen and what to avoid.
The National Weather Service explains the different ways lightning strikes, including direct strikes, ground currents, and side flashes. It provides safety guidance on how to avoid these hazards, particularly during indoor and outdoor storms.
Why it matters
Understanding the mechanics of lightning strikes is essential for public safety and reducing fatalities during severe weather events.
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email National Lightning Safety Council There are multiple different ways people can get struck by lightning, with a direct strike being the deadliest type, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Other lightning injuries and deaths are caused by ground currents, conduction, and side flashes (also known as side splashes).
The NWS says direct strikes usually injure or kill victims in open areas including parking lots and fields. When someone is directly struck, part of the current moves over the skin’s surface before moving through the cardiovascular and/or nervous systems. If the current moves further throughout the body, this can lower the chances of survival. Regardless, direct strikes can burn the skin, and they usually result in the deadliest type of strike.
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