Lightning isn't just found in thunderstorms. Lightning has been see in volcanic eruptions, extremely intense forest fires, surface nuclear detonations, heavy snowstorms, and in large hurricanes, however, it is most often seen in thunderstorms.

The causes of lightning. A thunderstorm forms in air that has three components: moisture, instability and something such as a cold front to cause the air to rise.

What causes thunder? The lightning channel heats rapidly to 50,000 degrees. The rapid expansion of heated air causes the thunder. Since light travels faster than sound in the atmosphere, the sound is heard after the lightning. If you see lightning and hear thunder at the same time, the lightning is in your neighborhood!

The odds of being struck. The odds of an individual being struck by lightning in a given year in the U.S. is about 280,000-to-One. That's about 3,000-to-one over your lifetime, with about 300-to-one odds of being seriously affected by a family member or friend being a lightning survivor. In Florida, it's closer to 80,000-to-one per year of being struck, 1,000-to-one in a lifetime, and 100-to-one of being seriously affected.