'Bolt from the blue': How dangerous lightning can strike miles away from thunderstorms
Lightning can strike many miles from the cloud from which it was discharged, giving the appearance of lightning coming out of nowhere.
Learning more about lightning for Lightning Safety Awareness Week
Chris Vagasky, Meteorologist and Lightnings Applications Manager for Vaisala, joined FOX Weather to talk more about lightning for Lightning Safety Awareness Week.
The idiom "out of the blue," used to describe something unexpected, is derived from a potentially deadly weather phenomenon — a "bolt from the blue."
According to the National Weather Service, a "bolt from the blue" is a cloud-to-ground lightning strike that appears to come out of a clear sky, hence the name.
In actuality, lightning can strike many miles from the cloud from which it was discharged, giving the appearance of lightning coming out of nowhere.
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This graphic explains the bolt from blue lightning phenomenon.
(FOX Weather)
A "bolt from the blue" struck 20 people at a Columbia, South Carolina beach on Tuesday, where first responders told FOX Weather that skies were clear at the time of the strike.
However, the NWS office in Columbia, South Carolina, had issued a Special Weather Statement about 5 minutes before the lightning strike warning that a strong thunderstorm was heading for western Lexington County with lightning and gusts to 50 mph.
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John Jensenius with the National Lightning Safety Council says lightning can strike the ground as much as 10 miles away from the thunderstorm from which it originates.
The NWS has recorded lightning that has extended upwards of 90 miles within a cloud, according to NWS Severe Weather Program Coordinator Derek Deroche.
According to NOAA and the NWS, a "bolt from the blue" typically originates from rising warm air from the upper part of a thunderstorm and travels for many miles horizontally before striking the ground.
![Seattle Lightning]()
Image 1 of 4FILE -Multiple lightning strikes in Seattle during a thunderstorm on March 26, 2025. (Aaron Johnson)
![FILE - Lightning strikes the sky above the city of Houston, Texas, the United States, June 21, 2023.]()
Image 2 of 4FILE - Lightning strikes the sky above the city of Houston, Texas, the United States, June 21, 2023. (Chen Chen/Xinhua)
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Image 3 of 4FILE - Stacked image of a positive lightning flash rate jump over Weston, Missouri. June 29, 2014 (Jason Weingart)
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Image 4 of 4FILE - Stacked image of a positive lightning flash rate jump over Weston, Missouri. June 29, 2014 (Jason Weingert)
How can you stay safe?
Experts say that the best way to stay safe from lightning in general, is to stay inside. People are particularly warned to stay off and away from bodies of water like lakes and beaches.
Once inside, stay away from windows, doors and plumbing and avoid taking a shower.
Watch: Lightning strikes Oklahoma police vehicle
A dramatic video shared by Newcastle Emergency Management shows the moment a bolt of lightning struck a police vehicle on Monday, May 19, 2025.
Jensenius advised people to monitor weather conditions via radar during thunderstorms and get indoors as soon as they hear thunder.
For first responders who are out in severe weather, Jensenius said being inside a hard-topped vehicle can provide a measure of protection.
Allen Hall, CEO of Weather Guard Lightning Tech, a lightning protection company, says thunder can be heard from up to 20+ miles away, which should give people enough time to get indoors.
FILE - Lightning over Seattle on May 3, 2023.
(Sigma Sreedharan Photography / FOX Weather)
Experts advise people to wait at least 30 minutes from the last sound of thunder before going outside.
According to NOAA, the U.S. is impacted by more than 20 million lightning strikes each year, and around 20 people are reported to be killed by bolts annually.