When it comes to lightning, it’s not always the bolt you see that puts you in danger. That’s the message from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Dr. Brian Mills, who says most injuries from lightning strikes don’t come from a direct hit — they happen from indirect energy travelling through the ground or nearby structures.
Mills, a senior research scientist who has studied weather-related hazards in Canada for nearly two decades, including lightning, said Saskatchewan sees an average of five or six lightning injuries each year, and has seen three fatalities over a recent 15-year period. But those numbers, he warned, may underestimate the risk.
“In Saskatchewan... we would estimate that between 3 and 11 lightning-related injuries occur each year,” said Mills, citing data gathered from hospital records, fire commissioners, and news reports.
Most of those injuries are caused by step voltage — electricity traveling through the ground after a nearby strike — or by contact injuries, where the current travels through wiring, fencing, or even plumbing. Mills also noted indirect mechanisms like upward streamers and acoustic shockwaves can cause lasting neurological harm from being near the site of contact, even if a person isn't hit directly.
Lightning is also a major driver of wildfires in the North, where dry fuel and remote terrain can let a single strike become a destructive burn. Statistics related to wildfires, however, are not attributable to lightning.
Mills recounted a close call of his own, which has stayed with him since he was a teenager.
“I can remember fishing with a friend of mine, with monofilament line, which is highly conducive to electricity or static electricity, and you're throwing your lures out and you're going, 'Why is the line still going up before the lure hits the water?'
"And a little bit later on, my friend said, 'Why are our carbon fishing rods sparking?' So, it's actually fairly common, and if you're ever in that position, get to shore. If you're on a lake, just get away and seek cover. ... There are many leaders like that in any given situation, so wasn't necessarily that ours would be the channel that ends up getting a lightning strike, but that just clued me into how close we often are to the perils of nature."
While the most visible danger is the bolt itself, Mills said people often forget lightning comes with other severe thunderstorm hazards: wind, hail, and flash flooding.
The safest thing to do, he said, is to listen for thunder — and react quickly.
“When thunder roars, go indoors — it's wise advice. Yes, there are literally thousands and thousands of lightning strikes every year, but it only takes one, right? If you're out on a soccer pitch or a playground or camping, have a plan in place to take shelter in a protective structure that ideally has some kind of plumbing or a metal cage like a car that basically channels that charge away from you and into the ground so that you stay safe."
While Saskatchewan hasn’t seen the same rate of lightning fatalities as some provinces, Mills said the exposure risk is high due to open terrain, outdoor recreation, and rapidly developing prairie storms.
Dr. Mills encouraged residents to pay attention to local forecasts, have a plan for what to do when skies darken, and never underestimate how fast a storm can turn serious.
For more resources on lightning safety and real-time storm alerts, visit weather.gc.ca or check in with local emergency alerts on DiscoverMooseJaw.com.