Video: Lightning: How It Works, How to Avoid It

What's This? SHARE Digg StumbleUpon Reddit RELATED Huge Storm Spotted on Saturn (February 16) Key to Lightning Deaths: Location, Location, Location Kids Feature: Lightning, the Shocking Story May 4, 2006—"One point twenty-one gigawatts? Great Scott!" As noted in the movie Back to the Future, lightning is a powerful natural force—a bolt of pure electricity that can wreak havoc wherever it strikes. Find out what we still don't know about this deadly phenomenon, and learn what you can do to avoid becoming its next victim. EMAIL NEWSLETTER Photos and News of the Week Get the top photos and news of the week from National Geographic News, plus occasional breaking-news alerts. See Sample >> Please enter a valid email address Thank You! Subscription accepted. An email confirmation will be sent. Privacy Policy MOST VIEWED NEWS New Mercury Images Show Volcanoes, Magnetic Field, More 100 Years After Tunguska, Earth Not Ready for Meteors WEEK IN PHOTOS: Space "Ribbon," Calif. Wildfires, More NEWS FEEDS      Get our news delivered directly to your desktop—free. How to Use XML or RSS