how far away is lightning from me

To calculate how far away lightning is from you, use the "flash-to-bang" method:

1. Count the number of seconds between the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder.
2. Divide that number by 5 to get the distance in miles. For example, if you count 10 seconds, the lightning is about 2 miles away.
3. Alternatively, for the distance in kilometers, divide the number of seconds by 3. For example, 9 seconds means the lightning is approximately 3 kilometers away.

This works because light travels nearly instantaneously to you, whereas sound travels slower at about 1,088 feet per second (or roughly 340 meters per second). As a safety guideline, if the time between lightning and thunder is 30 seconds or less (about 6 miles or 10 kilometers), you should seek shelter immediately because the storm is close enough to be dangerous.