UNDERSTAND. PREPARE. EXPLORE.
What to do in a thunderstorm.
Choose your situation for practical steps, from home and car to campsite, trail or beach.
If you hear thunder, take shelter. This guide does not assess current conditions. Follow official warnings and emergency instructions.
At home
Stay fully indoors
A porch or open garage is not the same as being inside a substantial building.
- Move away from windows, exterior doors and balconies.
- Postpone showers and washing dishes; avoid plumbing and wired electrical equipment.
- Keep official alerts available. Follow any additional instructions for wind, hail or tornadoes.
In a car
Use an enclosed, metal-topped vehicle
This is lightning shelter advice. A vehicle does not protect against every severe-weather hazard.
- Stay inside a fully enclosed hard-topped vehicle, with the windows closed.
- Avoid contact with metal surfaces and connected electrical equipment.
- Follow official alerts. A convertible, motorcycle or open golf cart is not equivalent shelter.
Camping
Leave the tent for proper shelter
A tent protects against rain, not lightning. Know which building or vehicle you can reach.
- Head to a substantial building or a fully enclosed hard-topped vehicle.
- Do not shelter under an isolated tree or an open picnic roof.
- Stay sheltered for at least 30 minutes after the last thunder. Do not return just because the rain stops.
Hiking
Keep moving towards proper shelter
No outdoor spot is safe during a nearby thunderstorm. Reducing exposure does not replace shelter.
- Move towards an enclosed building or a suitable hard-topped vehicle.
- Avoid ridges, peaks, isolated trees and open ground; do not use a rocky overhang as shelter.
- Do not lie flat. On future trips, allow enough time to leave exposed terrain before storms arrive.
By the water
Get out of the water and keep going
Reaching a beach or poolside is only part of getting to shelter.
- Stop swimming; if boating, head to land and seek shelter promptly.
- Move into a substantial building or an enclosed hard-topped vehicle, not under a beach umbrella.
- Wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder, and follow any local closure instructions.
Outdoor sports
Stop the activity and move everyone
A match or training session can wait. Use the venue’s lightning plan.
- Stop play and tell participants and spectators to head to the designated shelter.
- Use substantial buildings or suitable enclosed vehicles; dugouts and open rain shelters are not adequate.
- Wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before restarting. New thunder resets the wait.
Severe warning
Read the warning and act
Damaging wind, large hail and tornadoes can require additional action beyond lightning precautions.
- Check the affected area, time and named hazards in the official warning.
- Go to your designated sheltered place. Keep away from windows; follow the building’s emergency plan.
- Keep monitoring official updates and local emergency instructions.