Lightning strikes the Earth approximately 50 times per second with an average current of 30,000 amps and heat that exceeds the surface of the sun. You would think that people would consistently be on guard against such a frequent and dangerous phenomenon. Yet, despite common safety guidelines, it often catches people unprepared. That’s why effective lightning detection systems are crucial for providing early warnings. Unfortunately, with so many different technologies to choose from, the process of developing a system can feel overwhelming.
This blog delves into why advanced lightning detection systems are essential and the different technologies that go into creating an effective system. In this post, you’ll discover:
Lightning is dangerous. Given the frequency and power of lightning, it’s no surprise that it causes a significant number of casualties. (The real surprise is that it doesn’t cause more). Around the globe, it’s been estimated that lightning causes about 24,000 deaths and 240,000 injuries each year.
In the U.S., those numbers are smaller but still significant. The average is closer to 25 lightning-related fatalities and about 400 lightning-related injuries per year. It is one of the leading weather-related causes of death in the U.S.
And surviving a lightning strike is just the beginning; up to 74% of survivors may be left with some form of permanent disability.
Unfortunately, our eyes and ears are not enough to keep us safe. Of course, someone might object to this claim by pointing to the 30-30 rule, which directs people to be in a safe place when there are 30 seconds or less between a lightning strike and the sound of thunder, then to wait 30 minutes after hearing the last thunder. Isn’t that a guideline to stay safe by using simple observation?
The reality is that the 30-30 rule is often misunderstood. Many people interpret it to mean that they should start moving to a safe place at the 30-second threshold, but the rule actually means you should already be in a safe place at that threshold. For fast-moving storms, even the first thunder may barely offer enough time to get to safety.
The fact is that the distances at which you can see lightning and hear thunder do not align with the distance at which lightning poses a threat.
One way to approach the question of need is through the lens of risk. Those who are most at risk for suffering lightning casualties have the most to gain from early warnings.
The Lightning Safety Council recently published an important study of U.S. lightning fatalities from 2006 to 2023. Although lightning does not discriminate against people based on what they are doing, it is interesting to note that most lightning-related deaths (82%) were tied to outdoor work or leisure activities. The remaining deaths were from lightning strikes during daily routines or unknown activities. The 12 activities that contributed the most to lightning-related deaths were:
| ACTIVITY | #OF DEATHS | % OF DEATHS |
| Fishing | 41 | 9% |
| Beach | 29 | 6% |
| Boating | 26 | 5% |
| Camping | 23 | 5% |
| Farming or ranching | 23 | 5% |
| Riding bike, motorcycle, or ATV | 19 | 4% |
| Roofing | 18 | 4% |
| Social gathering | 17 | 4% |
| Construction | 16 | 3% |
| Head to/from or waiting for vehicle | 16 | 3% |
| Yardwork | 15 | 3% |
| Golf | 14 | 3% |
| TOTAL | 258 | 54% |
Once we know the activities that are most likely to lead to lightning-related casualties, we can get a clearer idea of which organizations or venues would most benefit from early warnings. Based on the top lightning fatalities: (1) beaches and (2) marinas would be obvious candidates for lightning detection systems. So would (3) farms, (4) ranches, (5) campgrounds, and (6) trailheads. Or, consider outdoor venues that accommodate gatherings, such as (7) parks, (8) country clubs, and (9) stadiums. Workers could benefit at (10) construction and outdoor renovation sites or at (11) any venue that requires large amounts of outdoor landscaping and yard work. Then there are outdoor public transportation hubs like (12) bus stations and (13) parking lots, whether they are standalone structures or parts of larger complexes like retail malls.
Lastly, some venues or organizations may have stakeholders engaged in multiple higher-risk activities. Take schools as an example. They have students and teachers walking to and from school parking lots while others wait at bus stops. They have groundskeepers maintaining the school grounds. Many students play outdoor sports like golf. And, schools host numerous outdoor gatherings, such as sporting events, outdoor practices, and outdoor gym classes.
Obviously, an effective lightning detection system needs to reliably detect lightning. But, that is only the beginning. The value of the information lies in what you do with it.
To serve these functions well, a lightning detection system will need to include software that centrally collects lightning data and helps users analyze and visualize the data in meaningful ways that expand situational awareness and enable decisive action.
The system should also be capable of alerting stakeholders to impending lightning threats in time to reach safety. There are a variety of communication channels that can be used to achieve that objective, and there are different approaches to triggering alerts. We’ll discuss these a little later.
The centerpiece of any lightning identification system will be the network it uses to identify lightning; it’s critical to get this piece right. Depending on your location, you may want to build out your own network, or you may want to join an existing network. Either way, you’ll need to consider the technologies that comprise the network.
The main methods of detecting lightning can be divided into two broad classes: satellite-based and ground-based detection. And ground-based detectors can be further divided into audio, optical, and electromagnetic radiation sensors. Finally, electromagnetic sensors vary according to the wavelengths or frequencies they sense. In addition, some lightning identification systems are designed to predict the formation of lightning instead of observing it. We’ll touch on those briefly in a moment.
Satellite detection primarily uses light sensors on geostationary satellites to identify lightning in the atmosphere. The Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM), as it is called, went into operation for North America in 2017. Europe’s satellite detection system is called the Meteosat Third Generation Lightning Imager (MTG-LI). The GLM provides uniform coverage down to a resolution of about 10 km (6.5 miles). Its uniform coverage is its strength. However, its low resolution of 10 km means it may not be able to locate lightning precisely enough for some use cases. In addition, low-altitude lightning under heavy cloud cover may not always be visible to the satellite. And it cannot distinguish between in-cloud lighting and cloud-to-ground lightning.
Although ground-based detection methods may not offer the same uniformity as satellite detection, many of them offer highly precise identification of the location, distance, and speed of lightning. And they are better positioned to pick up low-altitude lightning under dense clouds. However, there are still crucial differences between ground-based alternatives.
Our ENTLN relies on our ground-based network of proprietary electromagnetic sensors. Ours is a Total Lightning System, designed to reliably identify and distinguish between cloud-to-ground-lightning and in-cloud lightning. What's more, our proprietary sensors provide 20x the frequency range of standard sensors, which significantly increases their detection capabilities, while avoiding the ELF frequencies that are susceptible to electrical interference.
But, as the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding. The accuracy and reliability of our lightning detection network speaks for itself. With its regional detection efficiency of up to 95%, independent studies have shown that our network tops the competition. And, the network’s location accuracy is now less than 100 meters (which means it offers significantly higher resolution than satellites alone).
Although our focus has been on different approaches to lightning detection, it’s worth noting that some solutions offer lightning prediction instead of detection. Predictive solutions claim to sense the probability of lightning via a sensor on the customer’s site. Unfortunately, predictive solutions do not even come close to the accuracy of observationally based detection systems.
We tested one such predictive solution against observations from the ENTLN over a seven-month period covering peak lightning season. During that period, 49 storms with lightning were tracked. On every metric, the predictive solution fell short.
Obviously, the point of collecting data on lightning strikes is to make use of it. And that begins with visualizing and analyzing the data to build up your situational awareness. That’s where software comes into the picture. The software you select should provide visibility into all the following:
Once you’ve identified the right lightning detection network and determined how you’ll collect and visualize the data, you’ll need to translate that information into action. That means figuring out how you’ll alert the right stakeholders in time to ensure everyone gets out of harm’s way.
These are the three most commonly used channels for communicating lightning threats. The provider of your lightning safety system should be prepared to deploy any or all of these channels, depending on the needs surrounding your use case.
Once you’ve figured out the channels through which you’ll alert stakeholders of lightning risk, you’ll need to figure out how to trigger those alerts. Historically, this was done manually; someone would be assigned to send out the alerts according to the organization’s protocols.
But manual alerting is fraught with problems. The most obvious is the potential for human error. But the bigger, more frequent problem is that manual processes can lead to costly delays in alerting.
Consider that most organizations want to minimize weather-related downtime. So, by the time an alert gets issued, the need for action is imminent. Even a short delay in sending the alert can endanger lives and property.
Now consider that the personnel assigned to send lightning alerts typically have many other job duties. When they attend to those other duties, their attention could be diverted for 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or more. That 10- to 30-minute delay could make the difference between giving stakeholders sufficient time to seek safety…or not.
Automated alerting eliminates these problems. You may need to spend a little more time upfront to clearly define your lightning policies and alerting protocols. But that extra time can pay dividends by saving lives and property on the backend.
Lightning systems provide critical early warnings that can prevent injuries and fatalities by giving people the time they need to seek safety. If you’re responsible for safety in a high-risk environment or simply want to improve your lightning preparedness, consider investing in a reliable lightning detection system. Explore the available technologies and assess how they can best meet your needs. For tailored solutions and expert advice on implementing effective lightning detection systems, contact us today and take the first step towards enhanced safety.