Lightning safety guides
Practical, factual guides on staying safe in storms — how far away lightning really is, the NWS 30-30 rule, and how StrikeCast tracks strikes from NOAA satellite data.
The Most Lightning-Prone US Cities
Ranked by mean annual thunderstorm days from NOAA climate normals: the US cities that see the most lightning, led by Florida's Gulf Coast.
Read guideLightning Near Me: How to Check for Nearby Strikes
How to find out if there is lightning near you right now — the distance in miles to the nearest strike, the trend, and free alerts powered by NOAA satellite data.
Read guideWhat Is GOES-GLM? How NOAA Detects Lightning From Space
The Geostationary Lightning Mapper on NOAA's GOES satellites detects lightning across the Americas from 22,000 miles up. Here is how it works and why it powers StrikeCast.
Read guideThe 30-30 Rule for Lightning Safety (NWS Guidance)
The National Weather Service 30-30 rule: take shelter when thunder follows lightning by 30 seconds or less, and wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back out.
Read guideHow Far Away Is Lightning? The Flash-to-Bang Method, Explained
Count the seconds between the flash and the thunder to estimate how far away lightning is in miles — and why distance matters more than a storm count.
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