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The Daily Insight

What happens if a lighting strike hits you?

Author

Christopher Pierce

Published Apr 28, 2026

What happens if a lighting strike hits you?

Dr. Griggs says if a person is struck by lightning, it can cause cardiac arrest, which stops a person’s body from circulating blood and cause direct injury to the brain and nervous system, preventing the brain from being able to send the appropriate signals to tell the body to continue breathing.

Does your hair turn white when you get struck by lightning?

Theoretically, any sudden severe shock, accident, illness or change in metabolism could make hair change colour, but it won’t be visible right away. This hair is basically dead, like your nails.

What happens when a lightning strike hits a house?

If lightning hits a non-conductive material, like a roof, it can spark a fire; even without a direct hit, a nearby lightning strike can reach a home’s wiring through the ground or wires coming into the house, overload the electrical system and ignite a smoldering burn.

What happens when lightning strikes a window frame?

Lightning can connect to gutters, then jump to a window frame as a ‘stepping stone’ to the electrical system or water pipes. All or part of bolts have been seen jumping from wall outlets to sink faucets and even across rooms! Animation showing possible lightning paths to ground inside of a house

Where is the safest place to be during a lightning strike?

Stay away from shorelines, railroad tracks, and metal fences which could bring current from a ‘far-away’ lightning strike to you. Although still not as safe as being indoors, dense woods provide a little protection due to the large number of trees that decrease the chance of lightning strike to a tree next to you.

When did lightning strike in Roswell GA 2019?

A shock wave is what Christy Blair first noticed in August 2019 after lightning struck close to her home in suburban Roswell, Georgia. She was at home sick, dozing through an afternoon thunderstorm, when she heard “the biggest boom ever.”

If lightning hits a non-conductive material, like a roof, it can spark a fire; even without a direct hit, a nearby lightning strike can reach a home’s wiring through the ground or wires coming into the house, overload the electrical system and ignite a smoldering burn.

Lightning can connect to gutters, then jump to a window frame as a ‘stepping stone’ to the electrical system or water pipes. All or part of bolts have been seen jumping from wall outlets to sink faucets and even across rooms! Animation showing possible lightning paths to ground inside of a house

A shock wave is what Christy Blair first noticed in August 2019 after lightning struck close to her home in suburban Roswell, Georgia. She was at home sick, dozing through an afternoon thunderstorm, when she heard “the biggest boom ever.”

What to do if you suspect a lightning strike?

If you suspect a lightning strike, call 911 Lightning can cause a smoldering fire that can be hard to spot. If you suspect your property has been hit, call the fire department, says Kimberly Loehr, a consultant and communications director for the national nonprofit Lightning Protection Institute (LPI).