However, about 5 seconds after the thunder, I watched a neighbor walk out their front door and begin jogging. 

Hello?  What accompanies thunder?  That would be lightning.  Just because you are in a built up area doesn’t mean you can’t get struck.  Perhaps the jogging can wait an hour?

Almost as if in answer, about 2-3 minutes later, an incredibly loud, “CRACK!” split the air, a bit of humming or buzzing and the thunder was right on top of it all.  Lightning struck within a 2 block radius of this house and the house of the jogger.

The chances of being struck by lightning are small but it does kill 100 people in the United States alone every year.

Quite simply, you cannot stay safe outside during a lightning storm.  Tall objects will not protect you, they may actually attract lightning.

If you see lightning, count off the seconds until you hear thunder.  If it’s 30 seconds or less, it’s best to stay indoors.  Lightning can strike up to 25 miles away from the actual “parent” cloud.  (Five seconds equal one mile in distance...so 30 seconds=6 miles.) Then stay under cover until at least 30 minutes after the last thunder or lightning flash you see.

By the way, if you are caught outside and you feel your hair stand on end...stay far away from me.  It could mean lightning is about to strike you.

For more information about lightning and staying safe, please feel free to visit any of the following websites:

Lightning information/National Severe Storms Laboratory
Lightning and the space program/NASA
National lightning map/Lightningstorm.com
Lightning Research Laboratory/University of Florida [This site has some amazing photographs!]

Just because there is a storm out doesn’t mean people need to panic, just learn a little bit more about it and use that knowledge to keep yourself protected.  Like, go jogging after the storm, not during.