The power of a Colorado thunderstorm was put on display on Tuesday, with the National Weather Service reporting extremely rapid ‘cloud to ground’ lightning flashes in mountainous terrain.

According to the National Weather Service, more than 100 “cloud to ground” lightning flashes occurred in a five-minute time period in the Sangre de Cristo mountain range at about 1:40 p.m. To put that in perspective, that’s about 20 per minute or one lightning strike every three seconds. More specifically, the incident took place just east of Crestone, in the same general area as Willow Creek Trail which leads to 14,167-foot Kit Carson Peak.

This situation serves as a crucial reminder for hikers in Colorado to take lightning-related risks extremely seriously. On average, about two people die from lightning each year in Colorado, with another 10 to 12 sustaining injuries.

Those in alpine terrain should seek tree line cover immediately as a storm approaches, but sometimes that’s not an option.

If caught in a storm without cover, never seek cover under an isolated object, such as a rock or lone tree. Instead, crouch down on the balls of your feet, as low to the ground as possible. Drop metal objects, such as trekking poles and backpacks and put distance between members of your party – maintain a line of sight, but stay at least 50 feet or more apart.

It’s been estimated that about 500,000 lightning strikes connect with the ground each year in Colorado. Don’t put yourself at risk by not heeding the forecast. And even if you know the forecast, be aware of approaching storms and remember that forecasts might not hold their accuracy throughout the day.

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