BOISE, Idaho — When thunderstorms hit the area, the best rule of thumb is to know your surroundings and your options for escaping the storm.
On Monday afternoon, a thunderstorm swept over the Twin Falls area while a group of walkers were crossing the Perrine Bridge—a walk that can be described as electrifying.
In the photos the group shared in KTVB's Idaho Weather Watchers Facebook group, their hair was sticking straight up.
"When lightning tries to form, it's a big separation of both positive and negative charges," KTVB Meteorologist Sophia Bliss explained. "The negative charges are at the bottom of the storm cloud. Think of it as an electrically charged tentacle trying to reach towards the surface. There's a positive charge that will emerge from the surface as well, and when those connect, that's when lightning happens."
The walkers were right in the middle of that.
What does static hair mean?
Bliss said the static hairstyle should indicate danger, and if this happened to you, leave as soon as possible.
"No picture is worth you," Bliss added. "You have to stay safe; you have to take care of yourself."
The group of walkers left and went back into their car within five minutes, according to their comment on the post.
What to know if you're outside during a thunderstorm
Bliss said that if you happen to be out and about when a thunderstorm hits, try and get somewhere covered. That could be a building or a car.
"Getting in the car can be a great option if you're out in the open, and it will keep you safer, because most of the cars have metal bodies," Bliss said.
But being in your car, doesn't guarantee you won't get struck.
In 2005, Angella Ruffing traveled from Boise to Twin Falls. She was in the passenger seat, and her mother was driving.
"The clouds just started rolling in a really dark gray, just terrible clouds, and it just started pouring rain," Ruffing told KTVB Tuesday via zoom. "Well, just out of nowhere, all of a sudden, it just a big old Flash, the brightest flash you could see, and it sounded like a crash. Boulders crashing."
The impact felt like getting a flat tire, Ruffing said.
"Now I'm petrified of lightning," she said.
They pulled over and got out to look for damage. Ruffing said when they didn't see any, they got back in the car and got home safe.
Household rules during a thunderstorm
For those of us that stay inside and off the roads when a thunderstorm hit there's a few things to still keep in mind.
"Get away from any plumbing, any cords or windows," Bliss suggests. "There are rare instances where lightning can actually make it inside through a window, through cracks."
That means no showers, washing dishes, or even sitting on a toilet when the storm hits.
"The best guidance is if you hear thunder, thunder roars, go indoors, and that's the safest way to be," Bliss said.
How to use time to find the strike
You can use the time difference from when you see lightning first and then hear thunder to estimate how far away lightning is from striking.
For every five seconds, it's one mile. So, 30 seconds is six miles.
Lightning can strike 10 to 15 miles outside of a storm, according to Bliss.