How Lightning Forms—and How to Stay Safe

Lightning scares the heck out of most people, and for good reason. This stuff kills more folks each year than tornadoes and hurricanes put together. How lightning forms is pretty wild - regular storm clouds turn into giant electrical machines that can fry anything, or anyone, they hit.

Lightning safety tips aren't just suggestions. They're the difference between getting home safely and becoming a statistic. Most people have no clue when they're actually in danger or what to do when storms roll in.

What's Really Happening Up There

Thunderstorm safety makes way more sense when you understand what's going on inside those towering clouds. Ice chunks and water droplets get tossed around like crazy, bumping into each other and building up electrical charges. It's like shuffling across carpet in socks, except with enough power to light up a city.

The top of storm clouds ends up with positive charge, while the bottom gets negative charge. Nature hates this imbalance and tries to fix it by sending massive electrical bolts through the air.