Thunderstorm and Lightning Safety: The Home, Vehicle and Outdoor Plan

What To Do When Thunder Roars

If you hear thunder, get inside a sturdy building or a hard-topped vehicle right away. Lightning can strike from a storm that is still miles off, so waiting for rain to start is waiting too long. Once you’re sheltered, stay away from plumbing, corded electronics, and windows, and don’t go back outside until 30 minutes have passed since the last rumble of thunder.

This guide walks through what “safe” actually means at home, in a vehicle, and outdoors, plus how to tell when the danger has passed.

The 30/30 Rule: The Fastest Way To Decide

Lightning can strike as far as 10 miles from the storm producing it, which is roughly the distance sound travels as thunder. Because of that, hearing thunder at all means you’re already close enough to be at risk.

• Go indoors if you cannot count to 30 between seeing a lightning flash and hearing the thunder that follows it.
• Stay indoors for a full 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder before resuming outdoor activity.
• If the sky looks threatening even before you hear thunder, don’t wait, head to shelter anyway.

Home Safety: What To Do Once You’re Inside

A fully enclosed building with electrical wiring and plumbing is one of the safest places to be in a thunderstorm, but being indoors isn’t automatically safe. Lightning can travel through a building’s wiring and pipes, so certain everyday habits become risks during a storm.

Avoid While a Storm Is Overhead

• Corded phones, and anything plugged into an electrical outlet (cell phones and cordless phones are fine to use).
• Plumbing: don’t wash dishes, shower, or bathe, since lightning can travel through pipes.
• Windows and exterior doors, and porches.
• Lying or leaning on a garage floor or concrete walls, which can contain grounding wire or metal bars.

Prepare Before Storm Season

• Trim or remove trees and branches that could fall on your home or power lines.
• Install surge protectors, and consider a lightning protection system for the whole house if lightning is common in your area.
• Identify which room you’ll use as shelter and make sure everyone in the household knows the plan. Our family readiness plan guide walks through building that plan step by step, including how to decide between sheltering in place and evacuating.

After the Storm Passes

Wait the full 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back outside. Then check your property for downed power lines or damaged trees, and report any downed lines to your utility company rather than approaching them. If the storm knocked out power, a backup power load calculation can help you figure out what size generator or power station you’d actually need before you buy one, and generators should always run outdoors, well away from windows and doors.

Vehicle Safety: What Actually Protects You

A hard-topped, fully enclosed metal vehicle is a safe place to wait out a storm when no building is available. The protection comes from the metal shell of the car conducting the current around the occupants and into the ground, not from the rubber tires, which is a common myth.

• Safe: Hard-topped cars, vans, buses, and trucks, with the windows rolled all the way up.
• Not safe: Convertibles, golf carts, open-cab construction equipment, and riding mowers.
• Once inside, avoid touching metal surfaces and anything wired to the outside of the vehicle, such as the radio, CB equipment, or ignition.
• If you’re driving when a storm hits, slow down and, if you can do so safely, pull off the road until visibility and conditions improve.

Outdoor Decision Path: If You’re Caught Outside

1. Hear thunder or see lightning? Head for a sturdy building or hard-topped vehicle immediately. Don’t wait for rain.
2. No building or vehicle nearby? There is no location outdoors that is truly safe. Avoid open fields, hilltops, isolated tall trees, and water. If you’re in a forest, move toward an area of shorter, more uniform trees rather than standing under a single tall one.
3. At a park, ballfield, or beach? Picnic shelters, dugouts, and open-sided structures are not safe. Get everyone into vehicles or a substantial building instead.
4. Once sheltered: Stay put for 30 minutes after the last thunder, even if the rain has stopped or lightened.

If Someone Is Struck by Lightning

Call 911 immediately. A person who has been struck by lightning does not retain an electrical charge and is safe to touch right away. While waiting for help, monitor the person and begin CPR or use an automated external defibrillator (AED) if they are unresponsive and not breathing normally. Move the person to a safer location if the storm is still ongoing and it’s safe to do so, but don’t delay calling for help to do it.

Extra Caution: Who Needs a More Careful Plan

• Households with power-dependent medical equipment: A storm that knocks out power is a separate emergency on top of the lightning risk. Have a backup power plan worked out in advance rather than during the outage.
• Outdoor youth sports, camps, and group events: A large group needs more lead time to reach shelter than an individual does. Whoever is running the event should have a lightning plan and be willing to stop activity early.
• Pet owners: Sheds, doghouses, and detached garages don’t provide meaningful lightning protection. Bring pets into the main house before a storm arrives.
• People on or near water: Boats, docks, and open water carry some of the highest lightning risk outdoors. Get to shore and into a substantial building well before a storm arrives.

Evidence Limits

No location is completely immune to a lightning strike, indoors or in a vehicle; these guidelines describe the options that carry substantially lower risk, based on official guidance from the National Weather Service and Ready.gov. Lightning behavior also varies with terrain, storm type, and local conditions, so use these steps as a general framework and follow instructions from local authorities and forecasters for your specific area and situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to shower or do dishes during a thunderstorm?

No. Lightning can travel through a building’s plumbing, so avoid running water, showering, bathing, or washing dishes until the storm has passed and 30 minutes have gone by since the last thunder.

Can I use my cell phone during a lightning storm?

Yes. Cell phones and cordless phones are safe to use indoors during a thunderstorm. Corded landline phones are the ones to avoid, since the cord can conduct a strike.

Do rubber tires protect me from lightning in a car?

No, that’s a common myth. A hard-topped vehicle is safe because its metal frame and body conduct the current around the occupants and into the ground, not because of the tires. That’s also why convertibles and open vehicles don’t offer the same protection.

How long should I wait after a storm before going back outside?

Wait at least 30 minutes after you hear the last clap of thunder, even if it looks clear or the rain has stopped. Storms can pass close by more than once, and lightning can still strike after the rain has ended.

Educational Disclaimer

This article is for general educational purposes only and is based on publicly available guidance from Ready.gov and the National Weather Service at the time of writing. It is not a substitute for instructions from local emergency officials, meteorologists, or first responders during an actual severe weather event. Always follow official warnings and evacuation or shelter guidance for your specific location. For gear and kit basics that pair with this plan, see our guides on prepping for beginners and the essential prepper gear checklist.