Actually, you don't want to lay on the ground; you want to sort of squat/sit-on-your-ankles, kinda like this: 
(And be sure to ground your metallic [and electronic] items.)
Posted on 01/11/2015 5:22:14 PM PST by Coleus
I also heard that about crouching down but assumed laying down would be better since you would be lower. I wonder why crouching is better than laying?
Shocking!
I’ve read where crouching with your feet together and arms around your knees is best (probably need to anyway for balance). But I think it also has the best chance of rerouting the current away from your heart iirc.
I think if you got hit though, you would pretty much be screwed. I’ve had some close calls hunting, fishing and hiking and fear lightening strikes above all things.
When I coached soccer it was always an effort to try to get the other coaches to stop the games when thunder got close. It was the rule to stop - but few were concerned with it.
One time I was trying to get the players into nearby cars and vans and then their hair stood on end. It hit an upper field about 100-feet away that luckily was empty.
I had the same thing happen seven years ago while hiking in Zion National Park. It was a weird feeling followed by the lightning strike. There was no rain, just one quick lightning bolt that zapped me pretty hard. The pre strike feeling was unusual.
I had sneakers on and it really hurt the arches of both feet afterward. Knocked me silly and I was a bit concerned as I was close to a canyon ledge but recovered quickly and continued hiking.
Interesting!
Oh wow.
I’ve never heard of that either!
If you imagine the path taken by the enormous electrical currents contained in a lightning strike when it hits the ground (or an object connected to the ground), the current will flow away from the location of the strike on and through the ground in all directions (there may also be surface effects keeping much of the current along the surface of the ground, and also induction of current into nearby conductors, including bodies). By Ohm’s Law, the voltage between two points can be calculated as the product of the current in amperes and the resistance in ohms. A lightning strike may involve currents in a range of perhaps thousands to hundreds of thousands of amperes. The voltage between two points exposed to such huge currents would depend on the resistance between those two points - the ground resistance if you stand with your legs apart, or lie down on the ground, would be greater than if your legs are close together, thus the chance of being electrocuted would be greater if your legs were apart or if your body were prone on the ground than if your feet were close together.
The same mechanism explains why cows and other four-legged field animals are often killed by nearby lightning strikes - their legs are far apart, and so the voltage difference between their feet is very large, leading to electrocution, even though there is no direct hit from the lightning.
I have 2 lightning stories.
My cousin was fishing on Lake Michigan. He was casting and retrieving from shore. A storm is closing in but not over head yet. He cast and the lure kept going... Up. He watched with jaw dropped for a second then realized he was about to be Ben Franklin.
Story 2: that same cousin and I got stuck at the reef line in the Florida keys while running from a storm. We had been trolling outside the reef line. We anchored and waited for the tow boat. The storm hits and lightning is hitting all around us. During a short break in the storm I realized the VHF antenna and graphite rods were humming - in vertical rod holders. We put them on the deck and prayed. Meanwhile I had a Bonita with a shark hook in its back in the water as a wtf line. Cousin looks over at one point in his Chicago accent says “lemme get this straight. We are surrounded by lighting in a stuck boat. We might need to jump in at some point. And, you are chumming for sharks????”
Good times
LOL. Reminds me of a buddy of mine when we had a pretty good sized earthquake. He drove down to the beach to see if there was going to be a tsunami.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_strike:
Ground current or "step potential" – Earth surface charges race towards the flash channel during discharge. Due to the high impedance of the ground, the current "chooses" a better conductor, often a person's legs, passing through the body. The near instantaneous rate of discharge causes a potential (difference) over distance, which may amount to several thousand volts per linear foot. This phenomenon is responsible for more injuries and deaths than the above three combined. Reports of "Tens of cows killed by a lightning strike..." are classic examples.
I guess we balding olde fartes get no warning?
Thanks for the explanations. I’m glad I never had my hair stand on edge.
I think part of the protection of crouching is to minimize your contact with the ground, reduce your height so you are not attractive to a strike, and presumably the soles of your shoes will provide at least some electrical insulating capability, although if rain soaked not so much.
Excellent explanation. Thanks.
I guess we balding olde fartes get no warning?
the hair in your ears sticks out. LOL
Actually, you don't want to lay on the ground; you want to sort of squat/sit-on-your-ankles, kinda like this:
(And be sure to ground your metallic [and electronic] items.)
I’ve read that when lightning strikes your survival may depend on whether your heart valves are open or closed at the moment.
If they are closed, they may fuse shut.
No, no, no. Quickly bend over, tucking your head between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye.
Dude i am just a lowly 220 and below kinda electrician you got big ones
I suppose if you have really good balance then you could crouch and lift one foot off the ground.
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