Why lightning out of the blue is so dangerous

This is an incredible picture of a lightning strike out of the blue in downtown Houston on Tuesday. Quentin Dunn sent it to me from his office, with downtown visible in the distance. It looks like the lightning struck the TC Energy Center. Jenny Knickerbocker, who works next to that building, said the lightning scared her.

What is a bolt from the blue?

Strikes from the front of a storm cloud are called bolts of lightning. These bolts can travel up to 10 miles ahead of the rain and appear to come “out of the blue.” These are the most dangerous types of lightning because there is often no warning that a storm is approaching.

Positive blows are stronger than negative blows:

There are two types of lightning that reaches the ground. Positive and negative lightning strikes. Lightning out of the blue is positive lightning strikes.

Positive lightning is more powerful due to its higher energy and current, its longer duration, and the fact that it originates from higher altitudes within the storm. Positive lightning has a peak current of about 100 kA. Negative charges are around 20 kA. Positive charges come from the higher parts of the storm clouds, resulting in a longer path and a greater energy release. Positive lightning is also brighter and more intense, producing more heat and light.

Here is a short video I made explaining what a bolt from the blue is:

When it thunders, go into the house:

Lightning deaths have declined since the introduction of the lightning safety initiative “When Thunder Rumbles, Go Indoors.” This simple message has saved hundreds of lives since it was introduced in the early 2000s.

Unfortunately, people still get struck by lightning and die from lightning strikes. The only fatality in Texas this year was a 7-year-old girl from Bryan. She was reportedly outside a home when the lightning struck.

Texas ranks second in the nation in the number of deaths from lightning strikes, with 40 confirmed deaths since 2006. Florida leads the nation with 89 confirmed deaths since 2006, including one this year.

So when you see us showing lightning on our live Storm Tracker 2 radar, remember that your home, office, school, or car is the safest place to be. Never stay outside during a thunderstorm. If you see lightning or hear thunder, the storm is close enough to be dangerous.