Illinois Thunderstorms: Why You Should Never Crouch During One

I really only remember a few things that I was taught in school about how to behave during periods of lightning and thunder here in Illinois:

• Don't run under a tree or trees, or you're as good as dead.
• Get into the Lightning Safety Crouch to minimize yourself to limit the amount of current that could go through your body if lightning strikes nearby.
• Something about metal poles, golf clubs, and umbrellas...I forget.

I think that the bottom line during Thunderstorm Safety Week when I was in school was basically "Don't go outside in the storm."

That's still very good advice, as is the warning about running under trees for protection from the thunderstorm.

The part about assuming the Lightning Safety Crouch? Not so much.

Even Though The National Weather Service (NWS) Changed Their Position On The Lightning Safety Crouch Almost 20 Years Ago, Many People Still Think It's A Viable Protection Against Being Struck By Lightning

The National Weather Service may have done a 180 on crouching during thunderstorms as a means of protection, but the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Forest Service still recommend doing it.

So, why the change of heart by the NWS?

Weather.gov:

The crouch simply doesn't provide a significant level of protection. Whether you're standing or in the crouch position, if a lightning channel approaches from directly overhead (or very nearly so), you're very likely to be struck and either killed or injured by the lightning strike. Rather than "what to do in a dangerous situation" NWS focuses on "what to do so you don't get into a dangerous situation," and, "if you do find yourself in a dangerous situation, how to get out of the dangerous situation."

To bottom-line things, crouching doesn’t actually make you safer. If lightning is going to strike where you are, crouching doesn’t meaningfully reduce the risk. Crouching also promotes a false sense of security. Some people stayed outside during storms because they thought crouching kept them safe. In reality, the only safe place is indoors or inside a hard-topped vehicle.

Lightning can injure you by striking directly, by “side flash” (jumping from a nearby object), or by ground current spreading out after a strike. Crouching doesn’t protect you from those.