Southern Idaho Lightning Storms Pose More Than Just A Fire Risk

The Twin Falls area has seen its share of lightning and thunder in recent days. We stood out in our front yard Thursday evening and marveled at a storm cell that appeared to be hovering over the city of Kimberly.

Lightning has been the cause of a number of wildfires currently burning throughout the state of Idaho. As of Friday morning (August 6), there were 17 active wildfires in the state, according to the Idaho Fire Map. While getting outdoors to look at this incredible weather phenomenon, just remember that these storm cells pose more than just a fire risk to the region.

Over the past three decades, there have been an average of more than 40 human fatalities caused by lightning, according to information shared by the National Weather Service. For those that enjoy hiking and rock climbing, it's incredibly risky to be outdoors participating in these types of activities during a lightning storm.

My son's swimming lessons at the Twin Falls' YMCA were cancelled Thursday night due to the lightning. Although the pool is located indoors, we were told that a strike near the building could still pose a safety threat to anyone in the pool. For pool owners in the city, lightning is a very serious threat also.

August has been a very turbulent weather month for southern Idaho so far. Last week's heavy rains, in which a flash flood warning was issued, did aid firefighters a bit with their efforts. Many Idahoans have shared videos to social media showing the ferocity of these storm cells.

Although the extended weather forecast for Twin Falls does call for a decrease in clouds in the coming days, we are all well aware that these rolling lightning storms can show up unannounced. Be safe out there, and prayers to our state firefighters.

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