I have no idea where to ask this question, so I hope this is okay.

If a building is equipped with lightning rods, does that mean that it cannot be struck by lightning? Does that mean that people in the building can't be struck? On a scale of 1 to 10, how safe are the people inside? Are you less safe in a pool?

Okay, I know this is more than 1 question.

Thanks for the site Sherasi. There are a lot other interesting topics on that page as well. It's great.

You are much less safe in a pool than in a building during a lightning storm, provided you take proper precautions in a building during such storms (like staying away from pipes, corded telephones, electrical appliances, etc.). The lightning rod protected building is even more safe. In a pool, the water can act as the 'ground' for a lightning strike, and if you are within 50 feet or so of the strike, you could be killed. You should never be in the water when a thunderstorm is imminent. Get to shore and seek an enclosed building or auto. If no such building or vehicle is around or close by, stay away from tall trees and crouch low to the ground (do not lie on the ground, just crouch) with your heels touching each other. This will allow the lightning, should it strike, to pass through your feet rather than through your heart, and you'll escape with foot burns only. You should also cover your ears, because if the lightning strikes that close to you, the sound of the thunder could be deafening. While many are killed by lightning each year, the probability of being struck is very slim (something like 1 in a million, and even much less if proper precautions are taken).

Gerry, I was referring to an inside pool at the Y. I was recently in the pool during a thunderstorm, and when I questioned if we were safe from lightning, I was told that we 'were' because the building was equipped with lightning rods. I was a little curious about that answer.

I've been hit/shocked by lightning once when I was a little girl, and I'm still afraid of lightning. I was only knocked out for about a minute, but next time, I might not be so lucky. I also have a Greenfield filter implant, so you can see my concerns.

Lightning rods make a building much safer, but if it were me, just to be on the safe side, I'd get out of the pool even if it were indoors. There's always the chance, however small, of lightning hitting the building or through a window. I know of someone who was taking a shower, and lighting hit the on/off knob just as he was turning the water off. The knob melted on his hand, burning him with molten plastic. He was fortunate not to have been struck directly.

You're much safer indoors with a building equipped with lighting rods, but not 100% safe.