We’re entering the heart of Florida’s summer thunderstorm season, and the daily rumble of storms heralds one of nature’s most dangerous hazards: lightning.
The danger is far from theoretical. Of the 21 known fatalities reported nationwide in 2025, Florida led the nation with four lightning-related deaths. Then, on July 3 of this year — tragedy struck again when a lightning bolt killed a man and injured two others on Fort Myers Beach.
Those sobering incidents remind us that lightning can turn deadly in an instant – whether you’re at the beach, on a ballfield, hiking a trail or simply working outdoors.
To better understand how people can protect themselves when lightning is overhead or approaching, we sat down with two natural resources Extension agents with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). We asked Lara Milligan with UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County and Shannon Carnevale with UF/IFAS Extension Polk County about staying safe before and during lightning.
Q: What is the most important thing people should know about lightning?
A: Lightning should always be taken seriously. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning and should seek shelter immediately. Lightning can strike miles away from the center of a storm.
Q: Why is lightning dangerous?
A: Lightning can cause death or serious injury, including cardiac arrest, burns and long-term neurological effects. It is also a major natural cause of wildfires, particularly during dry conditions when fires can spread rapidly. Although wildfire plays an important role in maintaining healthy Florida ecosystems, it can threaten lives and property when it occurs near developed areas.
Q: What are the most important things you should do when you see lightning?
A: The most important thing is to pay attention to thunder. Thunder is caused by lightning, so if you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to be a threat. Move indoors immediately and stay there for at least 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder. If you hear thunder again, restart the 30-minute clock.
Anytime you’re outside, keep an eye on the clouds and anticipate a storm before it hits. Tall clouds that look like they’re getting taller are new storms popping up. That’s your warning that you may need to find shelter soon. When the winds change and temperatures suddenly drop, a storm is very close – find shelter immediately.
Q: What are the most important things NOT to do when lightning is present?
A: Do not stay in or near water. Do not shelter under a tree, open pavilion, picnic shelter, or other open-sided structure. Avoid open fields and isolated tall objects. Instead, seek shelter in a substantial building or a fully enclosed vehicle.
Q: What’s the biggest misconception about lightning?
A: One of the biggest misconceptions is that you’re safe if the storm isn’t directly overhead. In reality, lightning can strike more than 10 miles away from the thunderstorm that produced it. That’s why we have the saying, “When thunder roars, go indoors.”
Q: What else should the public know about lightning?
A: Many people mistakenly think thunder comes before lightning. The truth is lightning causes thunder. A lightning bolt heats the surrounding air to temperatures of about 50,000 degrees, causing the air to expand rapidly and create the sound wave we hear as thunder.
Because light travels much faster than sound, we see lightning almost instantly, while thunder takes longer to reach us. You can estimate the distance between you and a lightning strike by counting the seconds between the flash and the thunder. The correct count is approximately five seconds per mile. For example, if you count 10 seconds between the flash and the thunder, the lightning is about two miles away.
The common practice of counting “one Mississippi, two Mississippi” between the lightning and sound of thunder, with an estimate that each count equals one mile is not accurate. People may count five “Mississippis” after a lightning strike over five seconds and assume the storm was five miles away when that strike was actually only one mile away.
To hear Carnevale and Milligan discuss lightning safety, listen to their podcast on the topic.
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ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
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