There are up to eight million lightning flashes worldwide each day. Nearly 2,000 people annually are injured by lightning strikes worldwide. In the United States,  between 50 and 300 lightning deaths occur each year; five to ten times that number suffer non-fatal injuries. The odds of an average person living in the United States being struck by lightning in a given year is about 1 in 700,000. Approximately 29 percent of lightning deaths happen in open fields; 17 percent under trees; 13 percent around water; 6 percent on tractors or road equipment; and 4 percent on golf courses.

A few simple precautions can reduce a person’s risk for lightning injury:

• Seek shelter when a thunderstorm is approaching (you are much safer indoors or inside an enclosed car).
• Avoid tall isolated structures, such as tall, single trees or flag poles; don’t hold a “lightning rod” (e.g., golf club, umbrella, tent pole,).
• Stay away from open fields, open structures or vehicles, or contact with conductive materials, such as computers, telephones, water pipes, or fences.
• Avoid being near, on, or in water.

If you plan to be outdoors for an extended period and storms or lightning are a possibility:

• Check the local weather forecast, and keep an eye on the weather. Plan ahead and avoid outdoor activities during a thunderstorm. Thunderstorms are usually an afternoon phenomenon (70 percent of lightning injuries happen between noon and 6 pm).
• Be observant of your environment; watch for lightning and listen for thunder: “If you can see it, flee it; if you can hear it, clear it."
• Observe the “30-30 Rule”: seek shelter if you hear thunder within 30 seconds of the lightning flash (flash to bang ratio). Then wait at least 30 minutes after the last lightning flash or thunder to resume normal activity: the all-clear signal.

Large groups should have lightning action plans that include an evacuation route, designated safe areas, and a warning signal. Someone should be assigned to monitor up-to-date weather information. Group members should know the difference between warning signals and all-clear signals. They also should be advised about what to do in the event of a storm.

If you are indoors:

• Turn off, unplug, and stay away from electrical appliances, televisions, computers, and power tools. Stay away from windows, fireplaces, and water pipes and drains.
• Do not use the telephone.

If a person has been struck by lightning, seek emergency care.

• Bystander CPR can double a lightning strike victim’s survivability. If the victim is not breathing, begin rescue breathing, once every five seconds for adults and once every three seconds for infants and small children, until medical help arrives. 
• If the victim does not have a pulse, and you know CPR, begin external cardiac compression. 
• If he or she is bleeding or burned, apply appropriate first aid. Victims will not retain an electrical charge, so it is safe to touch them.