Expert Safety Advice For Impending West Texas Storms

It's supposed to storm this weekend in Lubbock, and the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued warnings about lightning strikes, particularly how to keep yourself and your property safe.

This Week's Forecast

If you weren't aware, Lubbock and the South Plains are expected to see some thunderstorms scattered across West Texas from Thursday all the way through the weekend. Some of these storms can be severe, NWS warns.

National Weather Service

Because of the expected harsh weather in our near future, there are some safety tips that you need to keep in mind when it comes to protecting yourself, your family, and your property.

Seeking Safety from Thunder

If you or your children play sports, it's important to leave the field immediately once you hear thunder. Seek shelter in a nearby building like a school or your home. As a last resort, your vehicle can be used as shelter. Just make sure you close the windows.

According to the NWS, lightning fatalities are known to occur during outdoor sports. Here is a stat breakdown of lightning strike fatalities during common sports:

40% during soccer
27% during golf
17% while running
10% during baseball
3% during football
3% during other sports

Lightning Strikes in Texas

Thanks to data from Vaisala's Xweather Annual Lightning Report 2025, Texas led the nation last year with 47 million lightning events.

Major league sports games are often delayed due to weather as well. In fact, NRG Stadium in Houston accumulated 251 hours of delayed games last year thanks to weather delays that include rain and thunderstorms.

Believe it or not, but lightning is the leading cause of damage to wind turbine blades, costing the industry over $100 million each year.

By monitoring potential thunderstorms, we can try and limit the amount of damage that lightning strikes can cause to Texans and our infrastructure. At least we hope...