{"id":1855,"date":"2026-05-27T13:06:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T13:06:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1855"},"modified":"2026-05-27T13:06:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T13:06:21","slug":"lightning-risk-is-about-to-ramp-up-in-florida-heres-how-to-stay-safe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1855","title":{"rendered":"Lightning risk is about to ramp up in Florida. Here\u2019s how to stay safe."},"content":{"rendered":"
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The start of rainy season means it\u2019s about to get more stormy in Florida, and that means more lightning. A lot more.<\/p>\n

Read more Gary Grimes retires from business, but he\u2019ll still be making music<\/a><\/p>\n

Florida consistently leads the nation in lightning strike density, as in strikes per square mile, meteorologists say. And the state also has had the most lightning deaths over nearly a decade, between 2016 and 2025, according to the National Lightning Safety Council.<\/p>\n

Now, as Floridians encounter scattered daily storms, here are some tips to stay safe this rainy season.<\/p>\n

Seeking shelter<\/h4>\n

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration advises that you take shelter in a large enclosed structure with plumbing and electrical wiring.<\/p>\n

That could be a shopping center, a school, an office building or a house. <\/p>\n

Once inside, stay away from electrical appliances and don\u2019t use them. Cellphones are safe, as are laptops, as long as they\u2019re not plugged in. To be extra safe, NOAA suggests staying away from windows and moving to an interior room.<\/p>\n

Sinks and plumbing fixtures are a risk as well, according to NOAA. Don\u2019t take a shower or bath during a lightning storm \u2014 water and metal are good conductors of electricity.<\/p>\n

When caught in a storm, it can be tempting to take shelter in beach shacks, sheds, picnic pavilions, carports, and baseball dugouts, but buildings with exposed openings don\u2019t offer protection from lightning, and may actually attract it.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

If a safe building is not available, an enclosed metal vehicle such as a car or school bus is a good option. Roll up the windows and avoid contact with the ignition and radios.<\/p>\n

As with open buildings, open vehicles are not safe. That includes convertibles (even with the top engaged), golf carts, tractors, and construction equipment.<\/p>\n

What if there\u2019s no shelter?<\/h4>\n

You could be out jogging, golfing, camping or hiking when a storm rolls in.<\/p>\n

If there\u2019s no safe building or vehicle to be found, here are a few tips:<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\u2014 Avoid open fields or ridge tops.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Stay away from tall, isolated trees or other tall objects.<\/p>\n

\u2014 If you\u2019re in the woods, stay near the lowest trees in the vicinity.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Avoid metal objects such as fences and poles. Move away from water, and avoid wet ropes.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Do not lie flat on the ground. Lightning branches out in tendrils once it hits the ground, and lying down will only enhance the odds of a strike. \u201cMost strikes are indirect, or what\u2019s called a side splash,\u201d said Ben Abo, a wilderness emergency medicine expert of tendrils, \u201cwhere, let\u2019s say a pole or tree is struck and the lightning bolt comes down through it and then zips over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the years, there\u2019s been some confusion about the value of crouching down like a baseball catcher to limit your own height. The latest take on crouching from the National Lightning Safety Council is that it does not enhance safety.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe crouch gives people the false impression that crouching will provide safety,\u201d said the National Weather Service.<\/p>\n

The National Lightning Safety Council suggests that you keep moving toward a lightning-safe place if thunderstorms develop when you\u2019re outside, and don\u2019t use the lightning crouch.<\/p>\n

On the beach or on the water<\/h4>\n

What if you\u2019re on the beach or swimming and a quick thunderstorm is rolling through? \u201cGet out,\u201d said Abo. \u201cIf there\u2019s a storm coming through, you\u2019ve got to get off the beach. You should not be on the water. And the worst thing you can do is be in open areas, especially on the water. Get indoors as quickly as you can,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Being on the water in a small boat with no cabin leaves you with few options. If you cannot get back to land, NOAA advises that you drop anchor and get as low as possible. If fishing rods are sticking up, lower them as well.<\/p>\n

Kayaking can be particularly unnerving. Abo said to get to whatever land you can, maybe an island, and situate yourself in a group of trees, not under the largest one.<\/p>\n

Read more Rain and storm chances increase over interior, lightning and hail possible<\/a><\/p>\n

Large boats with cabins are safe, especially if they\u2019re equipped with lightning protection systems. It\u2019s best to stay inside the cabin and away from any metal surfaces. Only use the radio in an emergency.<\/p>\n

How to assess the danger<\/h4>\n

Don\u2019t use rainfall as a measure of safety. Lightning can strike more than 10 miles away from the location of rainfall, and most people are struck either before a storm arrives or after it passes, possibly because they\u2019re taking shelter during the peak. The point is, lightning can precede and trail a storm. Do not leave shelter just because the rain has ended.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you hear thunder, you really should not be screwing around outside,\u201d said Abo.<\/p>\n

To assess how close a lightning strike is, count the number of seconds it takes to hear thunder. Divide that number by five to get the distance in miles the lightning is away from you. For example, if you see lightning 15 seconds before you hear the thunder, the lightning is about 3 miles away.<\/p>\n

NOAA advises that at the first clap of thunder, you should go to a large building or fully enclosed vehicle and wait 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder before you go back outside.<\/p>\n

First aid and recovery<\/h4>\n

Abo said that a direct strike can cause cardiac arrest, and indirect strikes can cause the lungs to be temporarily paralyzed, which can also cause a heart attack.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone is struck, call 911 and if they\u2019re not breathing, start rescue breathing (mouth-to-mouth) with or without CPR as soon as possible,\u201d Abo said. \u201cIf you do CPR with rescue breathing, or just rescue breathing, after a couple of minutes, the heart usually restarts on its own,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Giving rescue breathing to someone who\u2019s been struck by lightning is not dangerous to the rescuer, said Abo. \u201cThere are people that are afraid they\u2019re going to get electrified. They\u2019re not. There\u2019s no more electricity going through the body,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t go into cardiac arrest right away, you\u2019re most likely going to survive,\u201d\u00a0he said. Victims can, however, suffer permanent neurological disability.<\/p>\n

The National Weather Service said that burns seldom occur from lightning strikes, but the nervous system can be harmed. Lesser symptoms, which often clear over a few days, can include:<\/p>\n

\u2014 Muscle soreness.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Headache, nausea, stomach upset and other post-concussion types of symptoms.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Mild confusion, memory slowness or mental clouding.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Dizziness, balance problems.<\/p>\n

Why does lightning strike tall objects?<\/h4>\n

Lightning occurs when a negative charge at the bottom of a storm connects with positive charges on the ground or water.<\/p>\n

That positive charge can run up a tall object.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why skyscrapers, mountains and trees are often struck \u2014 they\u2019re closer to the bottom of the storm, which makes the connection more likely.<\/p>\n

That does not mean flat ground or water can\u2019t be struck, however.<\/p>\n

Why is there so much lightning in South Florida?<\/h4>\n

The region has the perfect ingredients for a thunderstorm recipe: warm, moist air near the ground, cooler, drier air above it.<\/p>\n

In South Florida, sea breezes from the Atlantic push moisture inland while heat rising off urban areas and the Everglades carries that moisture into the cold air above.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s when lightning can form.<\/p>\n

Bill Kearney covers the environment, the outdoors and tropical weather. He can be reached at\u00a0bkearney@sunsentinel.com. Follow him on Instagram\u00a0@billkearney\u00a0or on X\u00a0@billkearney6.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more Milk Mart turns 10 this weekend<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Florida leads the nation in lightning fatalities. Here’s how to stay safe as lightning activity picks up this rainy season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1854,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-weather"],"yoast_head":"\nLightning risk is about to ramp up in Florida. 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