It's not an old wives's tale! Since lightning can jump through doors and windows it's important to avoid those areas. It's also imperative that you stay away from concrete floors (like in your basement for example) since lightning can travel through the ground.
A lightning bolt would explode the glass window before it would travel through the glass. Storm lightning is so fast that even if it were to hit a window, the window would shatter from the heat and speed.
Lightning can travel through electrical systems, radio and television reception systems, and any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring. Equip your home with whole-house surge protectors to protect your appliances. Avoid windows, doors, porches, and concrete.
Once in a structure, lightning can travel through the electrical, phone, plumbing, and radio/television reception systems. Lightning can also travel through any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring..
Here's something that sounds preposterous but as it turns out, it's actually true. Take a very thinly drawn piece of industrial glass, and you can use it to store and release a surprising amount of electricity, a group of materials scientists has found.
While it is rare, yes, it is possible to receive a lightning injury inside a house. Burns and electric shock injuries can occur when someone is in direct contact with one of lightning's chosen paths to ground.
If a thunderstorm is headed your way, bring in any outdoor furniture that could be blown around or damaged by hail, close and shutter windows (or close blinds and drapes) and unplug appliances and computers to protect them from power surges that could be caused by lightning.
Stay away from anything that could conduct electricity such as radios, toasters, hairdryers and Unplug any electronic equipments before the thunderstorm arrives. This may also include fireplaces, radiators, stoves metal pipes, sinks, and phones. Stay away from window and doors and stay off verandas.
Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela is the place on Earth that receives the most lightning strikes. Massive thunderstorms occur on 140-160 nights per year with an average of 28 lightning strikes per minute lasting up to 10 hours at a time. That's as many as 40,000 lightning strikes in one night!
The "correct" answer appears to be because the car acts like a Faraday cage. The metal in the car will shield you from any external electric fields and thus prevent the lightning from traveling within the car.
If your hair stands on end, lightning is about to strike you. Drop to your knees and bend forward but don't lie flat on the ground. Wet ground is a good conductor of electricity.
Like trees, houses, and people, anything outside is at risk of being struck by lightning when thunderstorms are in the area, including cars. The good news though is that the outer metal shell of hard-topped metal vehicles does provide protection to those inside a vehicle with the windows closed.
The term lightning rod is a reference to a copper rod mounted on or near the home. The objective of this copper rod is to provide the least resistance path to ground. Electricity seeks that least resistance path to ground. Hence, the lightning rod can divert energy from the atmosphere to ground.
Copper and its alloys are the most common materials used in lightning protection.
It can puncture a roof, sear the surrounding materials, and tear through attics. A powerful enough strike can tear off shingles and gutters, leaving the roof a disaster. Fire is another serious concern, says ABC KGUN9 News. Lightning doesn't just travel, it can ignite anything that it touches.
While no place is 100% safe from lightning, some places are much safer than others. The safest location during a thunderstorm is inside a large enclosed structure with plumbing and electrical wiring. These include shopping centers, schools, office buildings, and private residences.
But the odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are less than one in a million, and almost 90% of all lightning strike victims survive.
Lightning can jump through windows, so keep your distance from them during storms! The second way lightning can enter a building is through pipes or wires. If the lightning strikes utility infrastructure, it can travel through those pipes or wires and enter your home that way.
During a thunderstorm, avoid open vehicles such as convertibles, motorcycles, and golf carts. Be sure to avoid open structures such as porches, gazebos, baseball dugouts, and sports arenas. And stay away from open spaces such as golf courses, parks, playgrounds, ponds, lakes, swimming pools, and beaches.
Absolutely NOT! Wood is a very poor conductor of electrical charges. When lightning zaps a tree, the sap boils under the intense heat. The resistance of the wood often causes the tree to explode, turning bark, limbs, and splintered wood into deadly projectiles.
The North and South Poles and the areas over the oceans have the fewest lightning strikes.
Avoid hilltops and open areas. Lightning seeks the highest ground, so if indoor shelter is not available, crouching down in the nearest, lowest, unexposed point is a better bet. Distance yourself from tall objects. Never stand near tall structures — particularly metal ones — which can act as lightning rods.
Tall objects such as trees and skyscrapers are more likely than the surrounding ground to produce one of the connecting sparks and so are more likely to be struck by lightning. Mountains also make good targets. However, this does not always mean tall objects will be struck.
Anything that's plugged into an outlet in your home is at risk of suffering damage from an electrical surge during thunderstorms. If an electrical storm has been forecast, unplug your computer, laptop, and other devices, and consider unplugging appliances.