Read this first
- This is life-safety guidance following current National Weather Service advice. Confirm against current NWS / Red Cross guidance before relying on it. The fuller, verified version of this procedure lives on the Lightning Storm Procedure page.
What to do
- 1Check the forecast; watch the sky — if storms are likely, change or delay the plan.
- 2At first thunder, go to safe shelter — a substantial building or hard-topped vehicle (windows up); don't wait for rain or a close strike.
- 3Get off exposed terrain — descend from ridges and peaks, leave open fields and water, move away from lone trees and metal.
- 4If truly caught out — low ground (not a gully), group spread apart, minimize ground contact, do NOT lie flat, and wait it out.
- 5Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back out.
- 6If someone is struck — they carry no charge and are safe to touch; call for help and begin CPR / rescue breathing immediately (see the first-aid pages).
When to use it
- Any outdoor activity in thunderstorm season — hiking, camping, aquatics, field sports.
- Exposed terrain and open water, where the risk is highest.
- The Emergency Preparedness and Weather merit badges; camp safety.
Common mistakes & safety
- Hear thunder → go in; no outdoor place is safe. Don't gamble that the storm is far off; if you can hear it, you can be struck.
- Only a substantial building or hard-topped vehicle is safe. A tent, dining fly, or picnic shelter is not — get to real shelter.
- Wait the full 30 minutes. Many strikes happen at the edges of a storm, before it rains or after it seems over.
- Off high ground, away from lone trees, water, and metal; don't lie flat. These reduce (not eliminate) risk when you can't reach shelter; spread the group out.
- Get out of the water at the first thunder — water and shorelines are extremely dangerous.
- A struck person is safe to touch and needs help now — begin CPR and call for help.
Going deeper
- When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors. If you can hear it, you can be hit — go to a building or a hard-topped car.
- A tent is not shelter. The dangerous false comfort — get to a building or vehicle, not a rain fly.
- The 30-minute rule saves the people who think it's over. Strikes happen at the storm's edges; wait it out.
Official source
Lightning Safety — National Weather Service →Core rules follow current NWS guidance. This page mirrors the fuller Lightning Storm Procedure; confirm strike first aid against current NWS / Red Cross / AHA guidance.