AccuWeather's Melissa Constanzer explains how to stay safe from lightning during a thunderstorm.
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00:00It's that time of year to take your favorite activities outdoors.
00:07But of course, there could also be some dangers.
00:09This video captured last month in Indonesia shows two people playing a round of tennis with a thunderstorm in the distance.
00:16Lightning strikes nearby, forcing the player to cover their ears and curl up before the two head inside.
00:23Very smart decision to get inside there.
00:25Unfortunately, lightning can actually kill 10,000 people worldwide each year.
00:3020 to 30 deaths actually occur in the United States and strikes the ground more than 200 million times in just the U.S. alone.
00:38So pretty impressive numbers as far as how much lightning can occur.
00:42It comes with the rubbing and the friction as thunderstorms create up and down drafts of ice and water molecules.
00:49And that's where we get these charges in the atmosphere.
00:52And actually, lightning can occur miles from the storm.
00:56So do remember that there are a lot of ways that you can get struck by lightning, even if you're not directly under the storm or where it is raining.
01:03So lightning can strike miles away, which is why whenever you hear thunder roar, you do want to go indoors.
01:08Also, avoid water.
01:10Open bodies of water can actually carry that lightning strike and that energy through the electricity.
01:15Same thing with puddles, even.
01:17So if you're standing on wet ground, that can also conduct electricity to from nearby lightning strike.
01:23If you hear thunder again, important to go inside.
01:26Lightning is at least close enough to strike you.
01:28You want to stay inside for at least 30 minutes after that last sound of thunder.
01:32No place outdoors is safe for lightning.
01:34But thankfully, as far as your car is concerned, you're generally pretty well covered due to the frame of the car, not the tires.
01:41But the frame will help keep you safe from a lightning strike as it will put the electricity around the exterior of the car.