We’ve all been there…on the water when storm arises and suddenly here comes the thunder. And then bolts of lightning. But what do you do if you’re caught out on the water in such a storm? We canvased a few experts to weigh in.
There have been four lightning strike fatalities in the United States this year, according to the National Weather Service. While one was in a Wisconsin gas station parking lot and another in a backyard in Illinois, on July 3, a 51-year-old man was struck while in the water at a Fort Meyers, Florida beach. And on May 31, an 18-year-old man was killed while kayaking in a river in Santa Rosa County, Florida. From 2006 to 2024, Florida led the pack in lightning-caused deaths, followed by Texas and Colorado.
In short, sums up the Weather Service, “There is no place outside that is safe from lightning. If you hear thunder, you are likely within the range to be struck, and the safest thing to do is to get inside a building or vehicle as quickly as possible.”
But here are some tips — aside from always wearing a properly fitting, USCG-approved life jacket of course — if you are caught out on the water when lightning blazes overhead.
Rivers and Lightning
Whitewater rivers usually aren’t too bad, maintain experts, since they’re usually surrounded by higher ridges and canyons. “Lightning strikes on whitewater river runners are quite rare, usually because they are at the bottom of river valleys,” says whitewater safety expert Charlie Walbridge. “Outfitters throughout the country have paddled through thunderstorms without problems. There are some places, like the Lower Delaware, that are in low country, and I always worked to get off the water in storms.”
Still, if you do have the option of shelter nearby, take it. Otherwise, stay as low in your craft as you can, avoid touching anything metallic, and/or head to shore and crouch down to wait it out (just not under any tall trees).
“I get scared in many situations in the backcountry, but what absolutely terrifies me is flash floods, landslides and lightning,” says river rescue instructor Nate Ostis, founder of Wilderness Rescue International. “Lightning does whatever it wants. It trends towards striking higher objects but has also been observed bypassing the rim and entering deeper into canyons and even striking at river level.”
The best advice, he says, is to get off the water early. “If you see dark clouds building, assume you’re in danger,” he says. “If you can’t see blue sky above, you’re too close. On rivers, get away from tall, isolated trees if you can’t get completely off the drainage. We are more “protected” in deep, narrow gorges, but I’m always most reassured once the storm has passed.”
John Gookin, retired NOLS curriculum manager, author of a lightning brochure for NOAA, and expert for a lightning podcast for River Radius, says the best thing to do is monitor the weather as closely as you can. “If you’re outdoors, stuff is going to happen,” he says in the River Radius podcast. “You can’t avoid risk completely, but there are some things you can do to help. The best things you can do are time your visit to high-risk areas with local weather patterns, and if you’re caught in a storm, avoid tall trees, large conductors, and ridges. Don’t stand right by a lone tree right by the river. Avoid that large cottonwood right by the bank.”
If you’re at a put-in or takeout, he advises, get in a van or car. “But everything changes once you launch. A lot depends on how wide the canyon is, how severe the storm is, and how exposed you are.”
While in general fresh water doesn’t conduct electricity as well as salt water, he advises getting off the water to wait it out. “I almost always advise getting off the water in a lightning storm. Pull up to shore and wait it out.”
“You’re much safer at the bottom of a canyon that the top, especially in a narrow one,” he says.
He adds that metal raft frames, tables, and things are conductors, but “matter only on a micro level and aren’t that big of a deal. They conduct, but are short, so they’re way better than a barbed-wire fence.”
If you’re caught in a lightning storm, assume the “lightning position” by putting your feet together (if standing) or sitting down on a foam pad with your legs crossed to wait it out. “A little bit of insulation can help, be it a pad, flip-flops or sandals,” he says. “Keep your feet together, wear shoes, be on an insulator.”
Listen to River Radius Lightning Podcast here:
Lakes/Ocean and Lightning
On an ocean, lightning has been measured to travel up to 600 feet. So in event of a storm, try to get off the water as quickly as possible — which holds true for oceans and lakes.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, whose state sees plenty of lakeside lightning, stresses getting to land. Head to shore right away when you see dark clouds or hear thunder, it advises, and leave the water and go inside a solid building or a hard-top car if possible. Avoid isolated trees on the beach and wait at least 30 minutes after the last sound of thunder before you go back out on the water.
If you’re stranded on open water, make sure your life jacket is on; stay low and minimize your profile by crouching down in the middle of your kayak or canoe (if your boat is stable enough); stay away from all metal parts by putting down your paddle, fishing rods, and electronics (i.e. for kayak anglers); and separate your group by keeping at least 50 feet between boats to avoid a single strike hitting everyone.
Lightning and Water
When lightning hits the ocean, the electrical energy spreads rapidly across the surface, not deep into the water. Salt water’s high conductivity allows the current to disperse quickly and horizontally in all directions, limiting its penetration depth. This is good news for marine life. Most sea creatures live well below the surface, in water that’s not significantly affected by the strike. While fish swimming within a few metres of the surface might be harmed or killed, those deeper down are unlikely to be affected at all. In contrast, lightning strikes in smaller bodies of water, like lakes, can be more dangerous for aquatic life. The confined space offers less room for the energy to dissipate, potentially affecting a greater proportion of the lake’s inhabitants.
Lightning’s electrical current can travel horizontally across the surface of the water for 30 to 300 feet or more, depending on the strike’s power. Rather than moving deep into the water, the intense electrical charge spreads outward across the top layer.
How Lightning Behaves in Water
- Surface Spread: The electricity stays near the top layer and does not shoot straight down to the bottom.
- Lethal Range: Being within 20 feet of a strike is usually fatal, but dangerous shock levels can extend much further.
- Sound Waves: A strike creates an extreme underwater shockwave (up to 260 decibels) that can harm or kill marine life from hundreds of feet away, even if the electrical current itself weakens.
- Salinity Effects: Saltwater conducts electricity better than fresh water, causing the current to disperse wider across the surface
Other Lightning Safety Tips
If you are stuck outside in a storm, the National Weather Service offers these safety tips:
Avoid open fields, the top of a hill or a ridge top.
Stay away from tall, isolated trees or other tall objects. If you are in a forest, stay near a lower stand of trees.
If you are in a group, spread out to avoid the current traveling between group members.
If you are camping in an open area, set up camp in a valley, ravine or other low area. Remember, a tent offers NO protection from lighting.
Stay away from water, wet items, such as ropes, and metal objects, such as fences and poles. Water and metal do not attract lightning but they are excellent conductors of electricity. The current from a lightning flash will easily travel for long distances.