Lighting: Please Respect IT

Lighting on MY RANGE or YOURS. Let's Take A LOOK
Gregg Kielma-Tactical K Training and Firearms

Lightning in open areas is far more dangerous than most people realize, and from my perspective, the biggest problem is how easily people underestimate the risk.

When you’re out in a field, on a beach, in a parking lot, or even just standing in a wide‑open yard, you become one of the tallest objects in that space. Lightning is constantly searching for the fastest path to the ground, and in an open area, that path can very quickly become you.

Many people think lightning only strikes during heavy rain or directly under a storm cloud, but that’s not true. A bolt can travel miles from the center of a storm and hit a clear, open area with no warning.

That’s why so many victims say the same thing afterward: “It came out of nowhere.” What makes this even more dangerous is that the human body conducts electricity extremely well. A single strike can stop the heart, damage the nervous system, or cause severe burns in a fraction of a second. Even if someone survives, the long‑term effects can be life‑changing.

I’ve seen too many people assume that because they’re “just outside for a minute,” they’re safe. But lightning doesn’t care how quick the task is. If you’re the tallest object around—or holding something that is—you’re at risk. Open areas offer no protection, no barriers, and no safe grounding.

That’s why the smartest move is always to get indoors at the first sign of thunder, even if the sky still looks harmless. Lightning is powerful, unpredictable, and unforgiving, and understanding the danger is the first step in staying alive.
Kielma