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Lightning and Fish Weather.gov > Safety > Lightning and Fish

Bodies of water are frequently struck by lightning. So why don't all the fish die?

Before a lightning strike, a charge builds up along the water's surface. When lightning strikes, most of electrical discharge occurs near the water's surface.

Most fish swim below the surface and are unaffected. Although scientists don't know exactly just how deep the lightning discharge reaches in water, it's very dangerous to be swimming or boating during a thunderstorm.

US Dept of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Weather Service Safety 1325 East West Highway Silver Spring, MD 20910 Comments? Questions? Please Contact Us.

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