You are very unlikely to be struck by lightning in any given year, but the risk over a whole lifetime is noticeable enough that safety rules really matter. Typical estimates for the United States put the annual odds at well under 1 in 1,000,000 per person, and the lifetime odds at roughly 1 in tens of thousands.

Basic odds

  • Public health and weather agencies estimate that the chance of being struck in any single year is less than 1 in 1,000,000 for the average person.
  • A detailed analysis of U.S. data (deaths plus injuries) suggests odds on the order of 1 in 1,600,000 per year per person.
  • Over an average 70–80‑year lifetime, that accumulates to about 1 in 15,000–1 in 20,000 of being struck at least once.

How dangerous is a strike?

  • Roughly 10% of people who are struck die; about 90% survive but many have long‑term neurological or physical problems.
  • In the U.S., recent years typically see a few dozen deaths and a few hundred injuries annually from lightning.

What affects your risk?

Your personal odds can be much higher or lower than the averages.

  • Location : Living in lightning‑prone places (for example Florida or parts of Arizona) raises the risk.
  • Outdoor habits: Golfing, hiking, boating, working on roofs, farming, or field sports during storm seasons all increase exposure.
  • Behavior during storms: Staying outside when thunder is audible, sheltering under lone trees, or remaining in open fields significantly raises the chance of being struck if lightning occurs nearby.

Indoors vs outdoors

  • Almost all strikes begin outside, but lightning can travel through wiring and plumbing, so a small fraction of injuries happen indoors (for example, using wired electronics or showering during a storm).
  • Being inside a substantial building or a fully enclosed metal-topped vehicle is much safer than being out in the open.

Practical safety takeaway

  • If you hear thunder, the standard advice is to go indoors immediately and stay away from windows, plumbing, and corded electronics until 30 minutes after the last thunder.
  • These simple precautions cut an already low risk down even further, making the chance of being struck extremely small for most people.

Meta description:
How likely are you to get struck by lightning? Learn the real annual and lifetime odds, what makes your risk higher or lower, and simple safety tips backed by recent data.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.