Before It Strikes: Lightning

Severe weather, before it happens.

You shouldn't find out about a storm when the first bolt hits. Before It Strikes watches the sky for you — pushing official National Weather Service warnings the instant they're issued, tracking storms headed your way, and counting down exactly when it's safe to go back outside.

Free. Nationwide. Built for anyone who has to make the call to head inside.

-Lightning safety countdown
When lightning strikes within 10 miles, a 30-minute timer starts — and resets with every nearby strike, just like the 30-30 rule the pros use. When it reaches zero, you're clear. It lives right on your Lock Screen and Apple Watch.

-Official NWS alerts, instantly
Tornado, severe thunderstorm, and flash-flood warnings straight from the National Weather Service — for home, the lake house, the kids' school, anywhere you save. With a live expiration countdown, plain-English guidance, and every affected county.

- Hi-res 3D radar
Crisp, smooth radar you can tilt into 3D and zoom to your own street. 150+ live radar sites, nationwide — pan to any storm in the country.

- Storm Center
One screen that reads the sky: a 1–5 threat level, live lightning rate, the nearest strike, the next-6-hour outlook, and local storm reports as they land.

- See it coming
A heads-up when a storm is overhead or heading your way — with tornado, wind, and hail threats in plain words, before the first bolt.

- On your wrist
The all-clear countdown mirrors to your Apple Watch as a glowing ring — a glance tells you whether it's safe to go back out.

- Follows you
Save every place you care about, or let it track wherever you are. Loud when it counts, silent when it doesn't.

No subscription. No paywall on safety. Every feature, free.

A note on safety
Official National Weather Service warnings are always the source of truth. Some features — such as lightning prediction and storm scoring — are experimental situational awareness and should never be used in place of official warnings or lightning-safety guidance. When in doubt, seek shelter.