If lightning strikes near you, will you not hear it for a few seconds?

Question

This has always confused me. I know that light travels faster than sound, and sometimes when I look out the window on a stormy night and see lightning, i don't hear it for another 5 seconds or so. If lightning strikes near you on the ground, (and you are lucky enough to not get struck), will you hear it immediatly, or not for a few seconds? (giving you enough time to cover your ears.)

Answer 1

These other guys are all right. But to simplify. When you see a lightning flash. Start counting.....One thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three,.........until you hear the thunder. For every count of 5, it is 1 mile away from you. So, you see the flash, count, 1.....2....3BOOOOOM! The lightning is a little over 1/2 mile away. If you count to 10, it's 2 miles away.

Answer 2

You would have time to cover your ears as the lightning bolt would have commenced at cloud level and sound travels at 330 metres per second so if the clouds are up 1 mile you would have about 3 seconds that excludes the earthing crack from the bolt that would be instantaneous.

Answer 3

the closer it is the louder and sooner you will hear it, think of it like a sound of a jet airplane, the higher in the sky it is, the longer it takes you to hear it and when you hear it, its not in the spot you hear it, its actually well in front of it, where as if its next to you and close you hear it immediately and louder

Answer 4

I always heard that the sound of lightenig is traveling at about 1 mile per every 5 seconds. If lightening stuck 200 yards away you would have about 1/2 of a second to cover your ears. I doubt you would react fast enough.

I was outside in a rain storm unhooking a trailer when lightening hit one block away. I felt static electricity flowing through me and I ducked low and covered my head as the bolt struck. They say if you feel static electricity that you should fall to the ground as lightening is about to strike. I beleive that is true.

Answer 5

Like right next to you? There would be a very very short delay (way to short for you to notice) but yes there would be a delay.