How far away was the last lightning bolt?
How close was that lightning bolt you just saw hit the ground? Count the seconds between the flash and the bang, and divide by 5, and you have the answer in miles. Sound travels at about a mile in five seconds, so by timing the interval between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder is a pretty good indicator of how close you were to the strike point. If the flash-to-bang time is 30 seconds or less, the last strike was within 5 miles. And statistically in many storms, the following strike usually strikes about to 3 to 5 miles from the last meaning you could be next! How often does lightning strike the ground in the U.S. each year? Lightning detection networks suggest that bolts blast the ground some 25 to 30 million times per year. The lightning hot spot of the U.S. is central Florida. Disneyworld could be called Lightning World. In a typical year each square mile of central Florida is struck some ten times. Most parts of the country east of the Rockies have 10 to 50% of that lig
