Lightning And Cast Iron: A Shocking Combination

Will lightning strike a cast iron pan? The answer is: it's unlikely. Lightning is attracted to tall, pointy, isolated objects, and height is the dominant factor controlling where a lightning bolt will strike. A cast iron pan is none of these things. However, if you are caught outside in a lightning storm, it is important to remember that seeking shelter under a tree is dangerous, as trees are tall and pointy and therefore more likely to be struck by lightning. Instead, run to a substantial building or hard-topped vehicle.

Cast iron pans are not lightning rods

Lightning rods are a type of lightning protection system that intercepts lightning strikes and provides a path to the ground for discharging the dangerous electricity. They are installed according to national safety standards and are an effective way to protect buildings from lightning strikes. However, lightning rods do not attract lightning. Instead, height, pointy shape, and isolation are the dominant factors controlling where a lightning bolt will strike.

Cast iron pans, on the other hand, are cookware made from cast iron, a tough and durable material. While cast iron pans can withstand extreme temperatures and provide excellent heat distribution and retention, they are not designed or intended to attract or conduct lightning.

In fact, cast iron pans are known for their culinary advantages, such as their ability to create intense flavors and their durability, which makes them a favorite among chefs and home cooks alike. They do come with certain care instructions, such as hand washing and immediate drying, but these are unrelated to lightning protection or conduction.

Therefore, it is important to understand that cast iron pans are not lightning rods and should not be relied upon for lightning protection. While they are excellent for cooking a variety of dishes, they do not possess the properties or design required to intercept and safely discharge lightning strikes.

Metal objects do not attract lightning

The presence of metal makes no difference to where lightning strikes. The dominant factors controlling where a lightning bolt will strike are height, shape, and isolation. Lightning often strikes tall, pointy, and isolated objects. Natural objects that fit this description, like trees and mountains, get struck by lightning many times a year, despite being made of little to no metal.

Metal does, however, conduct electricity. So, while it won't attract lightning, touching or being near long metal objects during a thunderstorm is unsafe. If lightning strikes a metal object, it can conduct the electricity a long distance and electrocute you. Therefore, it is important to stay away from metal fences, railings, and vehicles during a storm.

Additionally, it is worth noting that lightning can strike the same place twice. In fact, it often strikes the same place repeatedly, especially if it is a tall, isolated object. For example, the Empire State Building is hit by lightning nearly 25 times per year.

So, while metal objects do not attract lightning, it is important to exercise caution around metal objects during a lightning storm, as they can conduct electricity if struck.

Lightning safety in homes

Lightning is an underrated killer and can cause severe injuries and damage to properties. Here are some tips to stay safe during a lightning storm while indoors:

• Go inside as soon as you hear thunder or see lightning. Remember the phrase, "When thunder roars, go indoors."
• Avoid contact with plumbing and running water during a lightning storm. Lightning can travel through a building's plumbing, and the risk might be lower with plastic pipes, but it is best to avoid any contact with water to reduce your risk of being struck.
• Stay away from electrical appliances, wires, TV cables, and metal doors or window frames. Lightning can travel through electrical systems, radio and television reception systems, and any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.
• Do not use corded phones. It is safe to use cordless or cellular phones during a lightning storm.
• Do not lie on concrete floors or lean against concrete walls. Lightning can travel through any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.
• Protect your pets by removing any metal collars, leashes, or harnesses and replacing them with plastic ones.
• Equip your home with whole-house surge protectors to safeguard your appliances from power surges caused by lightning strikes.
• If someone is struck by lightning, call for help, assess the situation, and provide first aid. It is safe to touch a lightning strike victim as the human body does not store electricity.

While a house generally offers good protection against lightning, it is important to avoid any conducting paths leading outside, such as those mentioned above, to minimize the risk of lightning-related injuries.

Safety in vehicles during lightning

While a cast iron pan is certainly not a safe object to have outdoors during a lightning storm, a car can be a safe place to shelter—but only if it's a conventional metal car with a solid roof and no interior-exterior metal objects, and the windows are wound up.

Stay Inside the Vehicle

If you're in a conventional metal car, stay inside the vehicle and keep the windows closed. The metal frame of the car will protect you by acting as a Faraday cage, which directs electrical currents to its outer surface.

Avoid Convertibles and Cars With Fibreglass Bodies

Convertibles do not offer sufficient protection, even with the roof closed. A cloth top will not form a complete Faraday cage and therefore won't be safe. Fibreglass-bodied cars are also unsafe, as the body needs to be conductive to form a Faraday cage, and fibreglass is an insulator.

Do Not Touch Any Metal Objects

Do not touch any metal objects inside the car, such as door handles, window handles, radio dials, steering wheels, or other objects that connect the interior and exterior of the car.

Pull Over and Wait Out the Storm

If you're driving during a lightning storm, the USA's National Lightning Safety Institute recommends pulling over to the side of the road safely, turning on your hazard lights, turning off the engine, putting your hands in your lap, and waiting out the storm.

Be Aware of Damage to Your Vehicle

While you are likely safe inside your vehicle, your car may sustain damage. A lightning strike can damage the antenna, electrical system, rear windshield, and tires. The lightning may pass through the defrosting wires in the rear window, causing the window to shatter. It can also ignite a fire that could destroy the vehicle.

Lightning strike casualties

Lightning is an underrated killer and is a major cause of storm-related deaths in the US. It is suggested that lightning injures approximately 1,000 people each year, with 2,000 killed annually worldwide by lightning strikes. In the US, an average of 27 people are killed by lightning each year, with 43 reported lightning fatalities per year over the last 30 years.

Lightning strikes can injure humans in several ways, including:

• Direct strike: Enormous quantities of energy pass through the body, resulting in internal burns, organ damage, explosions of flesh and bone, and nervous system damage.
• Contact injury: An object that a person is touching is electrified by a strike.
• Side splash: Branches of currents "jump" from the primary flash channel and electrify the person.
• Blast injuries: Being thrown and suffering blunt-force trauma from the shock wave and possible hearing damage from the thunder.
• Ground current or "step potential": Earth surface charges race toward the flash channel during discharge, and because the ground has high impedance, the current "chooses" a better conductor, often a person's legs, passing through the body.
• EMPs: The discharge process produces an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), which may damage an artificial pacemaker or otherwise affect normal biological processes.

It is a myth that a lightning strike victim is electrified and that touching them will result in electrocution. In fact, it is perfectly safe to touch a lightning victim to administer first aid.

Frequently asked questions