In two years, lightning has killed 4 and 127 injured in Alabama.Lightning is very dangerous. Thunder is not. Thunder is not dangerous because it is only the sound lightning makes when lightning heats up the air rapidly. When the air heats up it expands, and makes the sound of thunder.
It takes thunder five seconds to travel because light is faster than sound. Thunder comes after the lightning. You can tell how many miles away a thunder and lightning storm is if you count the seconds between the lightning and thunder and divide it by five, you know how many miles away the the storm is. Lightning can travel from ground-up or from cloud to cloud.
The most common lightning storms are from cloud to cloud.
Lightning doesn't have to be dangerous if you:
- Stay inside when there is a storm (cars, buildings, ect. not tractors or golf carts)
- Don't have any water near you (showers, sinks, dishwashers, bath, ect.)
- If there is no buildings or cars around, get on your hands and knees and tuck your head under your body DO NOT lay on your stomach. Your goal is to be as short as you can, but don't touch the ground too much with your body.
- DO NOT get under a tree or near anything taller that you.
For more info in meteorology, go to Dan's Wild Wild Weather.
