Start counting when you see a lightning flash. If you hear thunder five seconds later, the lightning is a mile away; 10 seconds later, it's two miles away.

 

On the average, around 40 million lightning strokes hit the ground each year in the United States. And all thunderstorms generate lightning, the USA's second biggest weather killer.

 

Ways to avoid becoming a victim of lightning

 

In the United States, lightning is the second biggest weather killer, next to floods. Most victims are struck in the open, such as on beaches or golf courses, or when they take shelter from the rain under a tree. But lightning can be dangerous in your home.

Cars offer lightning shelter