WILT: When Lightning Strikes

Today I learned what to do and how to predict when you're about to be struck by lightning.

(That is, if you happen to be at high altitude)

The first indicator of a lightning strike is sharp static shock, probably felt within your clothing because of, you guessed it, static electricity.

Next, you'll be able to smell the ozone building up in the atmosphere around you. When I asked my friend Peter (who was struck while climbing Mt. Adams) what ozone smells like, he responded, succinctly: "piss."

Finally (and this is the coolest part), you'll see "Napoleon's Glow," which is when anything metal nearby glows a shade of blue and sparks and jumps a little. When you see this, you've run out of time and hopefully have taken the following precautions:

1. Get rid of all metal things! Quick!
2. Spread out (if you're with other people) to avoid a splash charge (when the electromagnetic charge prefers to ground through you instead of a more resistant nearby object)
3. Get into "lightning position," which, at high altitude means lying on your stomach and bracing your neck. Don't lay down if you're at ground level, instead do this:

and may the (non-electromagnetic) force be with you.