Lightning can travel varying distances depending on the type and conditions:

• A typical lightning bolt is generally 6 to 8 miles long but can travel horizontally anywhere from 25 to 40 miles before striking the ground

• Lightning has been known to strike more than 10 miles away from the rainfall area of a thunderstorm

• In rare cases, lightning can travel exceptionally far; for example, a lightning bolt was tracked traveling 477 miles from Texas to Mississippi in 2020

• "Anvil lightning," which occurs from the anvil cloud of a thunderstorm, can strike as far as 100 to 124 miles away from the parent storm

• The sound of thunder typically can be heard up to about 10 to 12 miles from the lightning strike, but lightning can travel farther than thunder can be heard

• Lightning can also travel along the ground surface, creating a lethal radius of about 60 feet or more from the strike point

In summary, while most lightning bolts are a few miles long and strike within a few miles of the storm, lightning can travel tens of miles horizontally and, in exceptional cases, over 100 miles from the parent thunderstorm. This makes lightning a significant hazard even when the storm appears distant or skies seem clear overhead