What to do when there is lightning
If you are on a beach, a trail or a sports field and hear thunder, lightning can reach you: head straight for a sturdy building, or a car with a metal roof and its windows rolled up. Leave water, open ground and hilltops, and stay clear of lone trees and metal fences. Indoors, stay off corded phones and out of the shower. Wait half an hour after the final thunder before going back out.
Why it matters: Lightning injures people who thought the storm was still far away.
In an emergency, call your local emergency number, 911 in the US, first. Reading a page is not training: take a certified class and practice on a manikin.
Steps
- Check the forecast before outdoor plans, and plan where you would shelter.
- At the first rumble, move to a sturdy building, or a car with a metal roof and its windows rolled up.
- Get out of the water, off beaches and open fields, and down from hilltops.
- Keep away from lone trees, towers, metal fences and bleachers.
- Indoors, stay off corded phones, out of the bath or shower, and away from windows.
- Wait half an hour after the last thunder before going back outside.
- If someone is struck, call your local emergency number, 911 in the US; they carry no charge, so start CPR if they are not breathing.
- Take a certified class to practice CPR before storm season.
Stop and call a professional if
- someone has been struck by lightning: call your local emergency number, 911 in the US, and start CPR if they are not breathing
Common mistakes
- Sheltering under a tall tree.
- Waiting for rain before heading in.
- Going back out as soon as the rain stops.
Teach this to someone
A one page sheet for showing a friend, a teenager or a parent: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: What to do when there is lightning
What to say
If you are on a beach, a trail or a sports field and hear thunder, lightning can reach you: head straight for a sturdy building, or a car with a metal roof and its windows rolled up. Leave water, open ground and hilltops, and stay clear of lone trees and metal fences. Indoors, stay off corded phones and out of the shower. Wait half an hour after the final thunder before going back out.
What to show
- Check the forecast before outdoor plans, and plan where you would shelter.
- At the first rumble, move to a sturdy building, or a car with a metal roof and its windows rolled up.
- Get out of the water, off beaches and open fields, and down from hilltops.
- Keep away from lone trees, towers, metal fences and bleachers.
- Indoors, stay off corded phones, out of the bath or shower, and away from windows.
- Wait half an hour after the last thunder before going back outside.
- If someone is struck, call your local emergency number, 911 in the US; they carry no charge, so start CPR if they are not breathing.
- Take a certified class to practice CPR before storm season.
Where it stops
Stop and call a professional if someone has been struck by lightning: call your local emergency number, 911 in the US, and start CPR if they are not breathing.
Check question
When should you head for shelter?
Answer: As soon as you hear thunder. Thunder you can hear means strikes can land where you are standing.
Your checklist
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Quick quiz
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Related skills
Sources
- US national weather safety guidance on lightning, 2025. Reviewed September 28, 2026.
Written in our own words from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for your situation; where a professional, your doctor or your lease says something different, follow them.
Last reviewed . First published .