Of course, it’s not the thunder than can hurt you – it’s the lightning. Approximately 100 people are killed by lightning annually, and more are injured. Whether you cower under the bed at the first rumble or love to watch the show, there are steps you can take to lower your risk in a thunderstorm.

You can figure out how far away a lightning strike was by using what meteorologists call the Flash-To-Bang System. Simply put, since light travels faster than sound the elapsed time between seeing the flash and hearing the “boom” can help you compute your distance from the strike. Counting from the flash, each five-second count equals one mile. If you count three miles (fifteen seconds) or less between light and sound, it’s time to take precautions.

Since lightning usually strikes the tallest object in the area, it’s in your best interests not to be the tallest object in the area. If you are outside, get inside if you can. Most buildings are grounded, meaning that the electricity will bypass the inside of the structure and flow down the outside to get directly into the ground. Likewise cars (except for convertibles) are safe havens in lightning storms if you’re inside them, but quite dangerous if you’re standing close to them because electric current will travel along their sides.

If you are stranded outdoors, avoid high terrain and open fields. If you can, get into a forest, but avoid lone trees – they might be “the tallest object in the area.” Stay out of swimming pools, lakes and rivers, since water is an excellent conductor of electricity. Get away from metal objects like fences, bikes, and antennae, and drop umbrellas, golf clubs, metal-framed backpacks, or other metal objects you may be carrying.

If there’s no shelter nearby, seek the lowest spot you can find. If your hair stands up or you feel your skin tingling, a strike may be imminent. Squat on the balls of your feet but don’t sit or lie down; the less contact your body has with the ground the narrower the electrical path you provide. Bend forward in a crouch so that your head is lower than your shoulders.

Finally, if you’re with other people and lightning danger is high, make sure you’re all at least 15 feet apart so lightning won’t travel from one to the other of you. If someone is struck, it is okay to touch them afterwards – they won’t be “storing” electricity. Perform resuscitation and CPR if necessary and get them to the hospital as quickly as you can.