We've all heard them.

Rubber tires protect you from lightning. Heat lightning is a different kind of lightning. A hundred-year flood only happens once every hundred years. If the weather changes, a big earthquake must be coming.

But how many of these weather myths are actually true?

In this episode of Atmosphere, meteorologist Emily Gracey is joined by fellow meteorologist Anthony Yanez for a fun, fast-paced conversation separating weather fact from fiction. Drawing on decades of forecasting, television, school visits, and viewer questions, they unpack the myths they've heard countless times, and explain why so many of them continue to stick.

We cover some of the most common weather misconceptions, including:

• Lightning Safety: Can lightning strike the same place twice? Do rubber tires or shoes really protect you? And is the lightning crouch still recommended?
• Heat Lightning: Is it actually a different type of lightning, or something else entirely?
• Hundred-Year Floods: What does the term really mean, and why is it so widely misunderstood?
• Rain Chances: What meteorologists actually mean when they forecast a "30% chance of rain."
• Earthquake Myths: Can weather trigger earthquakes, and why do these rumors spread after major events?
• Why Myths Persist: The psychology behind why we believe - and pass along - weather misconceptions.

Whether you're a weather enthusiast, a science communicator, or someone who's repeated one of these myths without thinking twice, this episode will leave you looking at everyday weather in a whole new way.

Resources & Links

Anthony Yanez's Weather Lab: https://www.click2houston.com/weatherlab/

Anthony's documentary, Garden in the Gulf: A Reef Rescue Mission: https://www.click2houston.com/weather/2025/04/18/garden-in-the-gulf-a-reef-rescue-mission/

Shorely Safe: www.shorelysafe.live

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