I was walking home today during a thundersstorm, praying that I wasn't going to get hit by lightning, and I was wondering, for future reference, how likely is it to be struck by lightning when you are walking on a sidewalk with two and three story buildings surrounding you?
Because it felt pretty likely as I was walking, but lightning strikes what is tallest, right?
2007-07-18 17:36:14 · 8 answers · asked by Sarah S 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
Lightning tends to strike the tallest object, be it a building, tree etc. When a person is struck, it is usually the result of "side flashes", which are electrical currents that go from the building, tree, etc. to the person. Side flashes can actually spread out in multiple directions.
Lightning safety literature mentions the importance of not seeking shelter next to the tallest objects around...it is due to the threat of side flashes.
Hope this helps. For more information on lightning and other hazards, including safety information and guidelines for using real-time weather data on the Internet to recognize the existence of weather threats, I refer you to a public education course I developed...for more information, go to http://www.storm-prep.com. There's is also some interesting hazardous weather trivia on that site. Hope this helps...
2007-07-19 01:29:31 · answer #1 · answered by Pete W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's actually a hard question to answer. Probabilities are strange things. You could look at it like flipping a coin. If you've already flipped a coin once, whatever you get the second time is independent of what you got the first time (although people disagree with that notion). So the probability of you getting a second heads after you've already gotten a heads is 1/2. But the probability of getting two heads before you've flipped the coin at all is 1/4. That's also weird stuff. So you could argue the same way about being struck by lightening. If you've never been stuck then the odds are small. If you've been struck once then the odds of you being struck again are the same as someone who's never been struck. If however you were to say that at the beginning of your experience about lightening, the odds of being struck twice are (1/odds of being struck once)^2. which is darn small, much smaller than being struck onde. Phewwwww!
2016-05-17 06:43:26 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lightning strikes on people are rare. More people die from the electric current being channeled through something (like a tall tree). This isn't an exact science....it is always best to be inside during an electrical storm.
2007-07-18 17:41:11 · answer #3 · answered by mizmead 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As a general rule, it will favor the taller things, but not every time!
It absolutely could shoot right down between the buildings and strike you.
It could even bypass you and go lower, to the flat ground at sidewalk level between the buildings.
2007-07-18 17:55:44 · answer #4 · answered by Steve A 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
lightening will strike the tallest (mostly) BUT it could travel down the side to the ground sometimes and could get you if the building doesn't have good lightening rods; however, the chances are VERY small that that would happen
2007-07-18 17:43:33 · answer #5 · answered by oldguy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1
2017-02-14 20:28:14 · answer #6 · answered by braxton 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nearby buildings provide protection from lightning; it tends to hit taller objects.
2007-07-18 18:17:44 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It does typically strike taller things. And most tall building have lightening rods to ground any potential strikes.
2007-07-18 17:39:57 · answer #8 · answered by Lady Geologist 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋