Swim time came tonight when storms were a-brewin in the area. Oh what to do?! In North Carolina, they even close indoor pools at the slightest rumble of thunder. Imagine swimming outdoors in a lake! I mean, the horrors of what could happen.
So what could happen?
Amie asked, “Have you ever heard of anyone dying from being struck by lightning while swimming?” Well, no.
Gary exclaimed, “It’s a myth! What about the fish? If it’s really all that dangerous, why don’t all the fish die every time lightning strikes near a body of water?” Well, I don’t know.
So we go. And we see one lightning flash and some rain on the way, but when we get to the swim spot– perfect. So I guess we weren’t able to test the theory.
You tell me– is it a myth? Is it really dangerous swimming when it’s lightning outside? Or am I worrying about nothing?
Oh this is TOO FUNNY!!!!! We have this conversation every Wednesday night before our open water swims if the weather is bad. We say the SAME THING…try to really figure out if this is a myth or not and what would really happen if the water was struck by lightening. I have NO idea. Maybe someone will know?! I do cancel the swims (outside) if the storms roll in, but only if we see lightening! Glad you got your swim in! Jen
I’m too chicken to find out.
If you happen to be within 10-20 yards of a direct lightning strike on a body of water there’s a fair chance you’ll get electrocuted. Same sort of risk on the ground with bouncing or rebounding strikes. Other than that don’t worry.
from some article:
“A single lightning stroke can deliver a billion electron volts and 100,000 amps. Air within a lightning stroke can be hotter than the Sun’s surface.
So, yes, if such a lightning bolt directly hits a marine animal swimming on the surface, it will undoubtedly hurt or kill her.
But that’s not quite your question. What if the bolt strikes the water near the animal? Lightning comes in all shapes and sizes. What if it’s a lesser discharge? This gets tricky but it would probably harm her, at least. If she’s down deep, though, she’s safe.
When lightning strikes the ocean or other large water bodies, it spreads out over the conducting surface. It also penetrates down and can kill fish in the nearby region, says Don MacGorman, physicist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL).
“Lightning strikes have killed or injured people on the surface more than 30 yards away,” says David Schultz of the NSSL.
In fact, the 45th Weather Squadron lists water as the second most dangerous place to be during a thunderstorm. (The first is an open field.)
Lightning, however, rarely strikes most of the open ocean although some sea regions are lightning “hot spots”. The Gulf Stream, for example, where fish abound, has as many lightning strikes as the southern plains of the USA. “
Good lordy someone had some time on there hands today!
Marty, can you please explain to me the effects of large-scale convection on solar eigenfrequencies?
Well, then. Thank you to Marty for your comprehensive response. I guess our questions are answered. It’s a semi-myth. It’s not a great idea to go swimming in open water during an electrical storm, but an even less good idea to go running in an open field during one. Duly noted.
But thank you even more to Marty’s wife, Bri, for thinking exactly what I did when I read Marty’s response. Except for the part on solar eigenfrequencies, whatever those are.
One additional comment on the topic. Based on what Marty relayed about being in an open field being more dangerous than open water, and the tendency of indoor pools in North Carolina to close at the slightest rumble of thunder, we should feel lucky that treadmills aren’t closed down for electrical storms. Not that I hardly ever use treadmills, but that’s a totally different blog post.