“When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors.” The National Weather Service (NWS)

According to the NWS, “There is no safe place outside when thunderstorms are in the area. If you hear thunder, you are likely within striking distance of the storm.”

If you can’t get indoors, NWS recommends the following:

• Avoid open fields, the top of a hill or a ridge top.

• Stay away from tall, isolated trees or other tall objects. If you are in a forest, stay near a lower stand of trees.

• If you are in a group, spread out to avoid the current traveling between group members.

• If you are camping in an open area, set up camp in a valley, ravine, or other low area. Remember, a tent offers NO protection from lighting.

• Stay away from water, wet items, such as ropes, and metal objects, such as fences and poles. Water and metal do not attract lightning, but they are excellent conductors of electricity. The current from a lightning flash will easily travel long distances.

The Shot

So, what do you do when you’re storm chasing and want to include lightning bolts in your pictures? You end up bending (breaking?) the rules.

When fellow photographers Gary Hart, Jon Christofersen, and I saw this abandoned farmhouse about a quarter mile away, there wasn’t any lightning. We walked closer to the building through the open field and captured a few so-so images.

Once we saw the blinding flash and heard the deafening BOOM! seconds later, we knew we had to dash back to the van. Lightning was inside our usually safe distance of five or more miles away. This bolt was waaaay too close.

Back in the van, we were protected by its metal body, which functioned as a Faraday cage. If lightning struck, the electrical current would pass through the vehicle and not its occupants.

While this image was exciting to capture, I noticed that we all stayed much closer to the van for the rest of the trip.

Thanks for looking,

Chuck Derus Zenfolio | Chuck Derus