Are cars safe shelter during lightning storms? Here are the best places to be

After a suspected lightning strike caused a vehicle to explode near a north Wichita truck stop on June 21, many are wondering if it is dangerous to be inside a car during severe weather.

While the National Weather Service estimates lightning strikes the U.S. about 25 million times each year, meteorologists do not track the number of times cars are struck by lightning, meteorologist Vanessa Pearce told The Wichita Eagle.

That said, NWS meteorologists do consider vehicles a relatively safe space to go during a storm, but they are not without risk.

“Like trees, houses and people, anything outside is at risk of being struck by lightning when thunderstorms are in the area, including cars,” the weather agency says.

Pearce said vehicles with soft tops are not safe during severe weather, but enclosed hard-top vehicles with the windows up may provide some protection.

“If somebody was at the park, watching their kids play, or enjoying the park, and there started to be lightning in the area, their vehicle is going to be the safest place unless there’s some sort of actual enclosed structure for them to go into,” she said, adding that an open pavilion is more dangerous than an enclosed car.

Similarly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider safe shelter to be “a fully enclosed vehicle or a shelter that has four walls and a roof.”

“Examples of safe shelters include homes, offices, shopping centers, and hard-top vehicles with the windows rolled up,” the CDC says. “Open vehicles (such as convertibles, golf carts, and motorcycles) and open structures (such as porches, gazebos, baseball dugouts, and sports arenas) are NOT safe during a storm.”

Don’t rubber tires on a car protect from lightning?

And contrary to popular belief, experts say rubber tires on a vehicle will not protect you from lightning.

If your vehicle is struck by lightning, Pearce said “it can impact the electrical components of your vehicle to the point where you might not be able to drive it afterward.”

“Although every lightning strike is different, damage to the antenna, electrical system, rear windshield and tires is common,” the weather service says.

Lightning has been known to cause windows to shatter, destroy tires and ignite fires that can total a vehicle.

In the June 21 Wichita incident, 911 callers reported the vehicle caught fire and a man was badly burned. First responders were unable to immediately determine the type of vehicle, according to scanner traffic based on preliminary details. The man was taken to a hospital with third-degree burners and in critical condition.

Lightning safety tips when stuck outside

If you can hear thunder, lightning may be in the area, and no place outside is completely safe. Your best bet is going inside an enclosed shelter.

But if you are stuck outside during severe weather, officials say you should, as a last resort:

• Get to lower elevation, away from hills and mountain ridges
• Don’t lie on the ground
• Avoid sheltering under isolated trees, cliffs or rocky overhangs
• Get away from all bodies of water
• Stay away from objects that can conduct electricity, including barbed wire and windmills