Because of this, Florida has more lightning deaths than any other state. Lightning seeks the path of least resistance on its way to and through the ground. The human body is an extremely good conductor because of its large water content. Metal is a better conductor than most objects. Lightning can induce high voltages and currents in horizontal wires such as metal fences, especially barbed wire.
Railroad tracks are also dangerous, conducting electricity for long distances.
There have been reports of people being injured by standing too close to a metal fence when lightning is occurring nearby. There is more than one kind of lightning. Most lightning strikes that hit the ground are negatively charged and occur close to the rain area of the storm. During a thunderstorm positive electrical charge builds in the cirrus anvil or upper part of the storm. This charge can become so intense that it will produce a positively charged ground stroke that can have 10 times the power of a typical negatively charged stroke.