Thunder and Lightning- What To Do If A Storm Hits While You’re Hiking
If this sounds familiar, it’s because this is from my YouTube video on this topic, but I wanted to share it in blog form for those who prefer that. I will link to videos, including the one with this script, so you can find more information to help you.
If you enjoy hiking or backpacking, or even just camping in a tent, you may have concerns about what to do if lightning strikes while you’re outdoors without a safe place to go inside.
In some places, lightning happens almost every day for some parts of the year. The highest risk is generally in afternoons, so try to plan most of your hiking for the morning hours.
Prevention is #1- if you can, adjust a trip or hike to avoid lightning.
Stay aware of weather reports and your surroundings. Mountain-forecast.com is one of my favorite weather forecast resources, and some satellite communicators, such as the Garmin inReach Mini 2, the Garmin inReach Messenger Plus, and the ACR Bivy Stick can get up-to-date weather reports while you’re out of cell range.
ALWAYS know your exit points. Have printed/paper maps that include the surrounding areas in case you need to exit due to storms or fire caused by lightning.
If A Storm Hits:
Let’s say you’re backpacking in the mountains, and you can see or hear the weather starting to turn. You’re not yet at your planned campsite, and there is no shelter nearby (some trails have storm shelters). What do you do?
Lightning can strike up to 10 miles from the thunderstorm. If you can hear thunder, you’re at risk, even if the sky is blue, so it’s time to take action.
Source: WikiHow
We hear about the crouch position- get into a ball with as little contact with the ground as possible, covering your ears (to protect your eardrums)- but this is not feasible (or reasonable) for riding out the whole storm. This is good when a strike is imminent (and some sources say it isn’t even helpful then). If you feel the hair on your head, arms or legs tingling or standing on end, you’re in an extremely high electrical field. You might even hear your electronics starting to get staticky. Get away from any high risk areas, which I’ll explain shortly, spread out from your group and assume the crouch position only after moving to a safer area.
High-Risk Areas To Avoid Include:
Ridgelines
High points
Isolated trees
Wide open spaces like meadows
Anywhere where water and land meet or where a tree meets the ground (so don’t lean against a tree or get right under near the trunk if a storm is in the area)
Buildings with exposed openings, such as camping shelters and picnic pavilions.
A shallow cave, large rock/boulder or old mine with metallics nearby
If You Suspect a Storm is Rolling In:
Try to get below tree line, if you aren’t there already
Look for a grouping of trees of uniform height or a group of shorter trees among taller trees for shelter
Avoid laying flat on the ground
Avoid metal, including tent poles, trekking poles, ice axes, climbing gear, grommets on a tent or tarp, zippers, your pack (which may have a metal frame and metal zippers), backpacking chairs, pocket knife, fishing pole, fencing, even your cell phone. Metals don’t attract lightning, but they do conduct electricity.
Get out of any bodies of water, including puddles.
Set up your tent at a low point, but where water will not pool under or around it, on an area slightly higher or on a slight slope
Stay inside your tent. This doesn’t offer lightning protection, but it does provide protection rain and protection from wind.
If you have a foam pad, staying on that may help reduce impact of a strike, but don’t let water pool at your feet.
If you’re in a group, spread out 15-20 feet apart so that if someone is injured, the rest of the group is able to tend to them, rather than also be injured.
Stay in your “safe spot” for at least 30 minutes after the last lightning strike/thunder.
Use earplugs, which many of us carry when backpacking anyway. They weigh nothing and don’t take up any space, but can help protect your eardrums and hearing.
If Someone in Your Group is Struck:
80% of lightning strike victims survive. A person who has been struck is safe to touch- you will not get electrocuted. Treat anyone who appears to be dead first, possibly administering CPR. Treat electrical burns the same way you would treat any burn. This is where taking a wilderness first aid class is very helpful.
Alert search and rescue as soon as possible You may need a personal locator beacon or satellite messenger to do so. Click here to learn more about these safety tools.
