Lightning facts

From time to time, I run into kids (sometimes adults) who have astraphobia. Here’s how I look at it. Things we don’t understand can be scary, but once we learn the facts, it usually gets a lot less scary.

So, what is lightning? Well, inside a thundercloud (or cumulonimbus cloud), there are lots of frozen raindrops that keep bumping into each other. When they bump into each other, an electric charge is created, and pretty soon, the entire cloud fills up with positive and negative charges. The positive charges head to the top of the cloud, while the negative go to the bottom.

Opposites attract, right? So, the negative charges begin to cause a positive charge to develop on the ground beneath the cloud. Eventually, the negative charges at the bottom of the cloud and the positive charges on the ground meet up, and THAT is when lightning strikes.

Yes, it’s complicated, but the safety part is simple.

If you hear thunder, you are in danger of being struck by lightning. Get inside immediately. A sturdy building is your best bet; however, a car will suffice as long as you roll up the windows. If there is no building or car near you, crouch down close to the ground and stay away from trees or anything else that is taller than you. Be sure to stay away from water. Pools, lakes, even puddles are no-nos when it comes to lightning. If you are indoors, hold off on that shower or bath and don’t use corded telephones. (Do people still use those? I digress…) Refrain from using any electrical device as well, and always wait 30 minutes after you hear the last rumble of thunder to head back outdoors.