How Far Away is the Storm?

Here is one way to tell.

Posted Thu, Jun 9, 2011 at 11:08 pm ET

Lightning strikes can be fatal, the National Weather Service warns.

So get inside at the first rumble of thunder.

How far away is the lightning?

Here is how to find out.

Count the number of seconds between a flash of lightning and the sound of the resulting thunder.

Divide this number by 5 to get an estimate of the distance in miles to the lightning strike.

Remember, if you are outdoors and can hear thunder, you are in danger of being struck by lightning.

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