Using The 'Flash To Bang Method' To Measure Storm Distance.

Let's say you're out camping in the wilderness. As you're roasting your fifth hot dog on the campfire, you suddenly hear the low rumble of thunder off in the distance. Before long, you're zipped tight in your tent and trying to avoid becoming a roasted weenie yourself! Lightning bolts are crackling all around you. The wind is howling. Rain is slamming against your tent, daring you to stay.

You've just been caught unprepared in a thunderstorm. OH NO!

Thankfully, there's a little trick which you can use to determine the distance of a thunderstorm. It requires no advanced mathematical ability, nor pen or paper. All you need is to know how to count.

The next time you want to determine how far away a storm is, employ the flash to bang method. It's simple, folks.

• Watch for a lightning flash.
• Start counting.
• Stop counting when you hear the bang of thunder.
• Divide the number of seconds you counted by five.
• Your result is how far away in miles the storm is.

Here's an example.

10 Seconds (from flash to bang) ÷ 5 = 2 Miles

It's really that easy. This is a very old trick that's been put to good use for ages. Now you can be just a little bit safer in your outdoor adventures! Instead of guessing how far away a thunderstorm is, you can know ahead of time before it arrives. Perform the flash to bang method in regular intervals to determine if a storm is moving closer to or away from you. For a more detailed scope of potential danger, check for lightning strikes from multiple angles to triangulate the storm's direction.

Now get back to roasting that weenie!