9 years ago
3
This Is Why You Don't Hide Under A Tree During A Lightning Storm
Via the US National Weather Service comes this staggering footage of a lightning bolt making matchsticks of a tree in Upstate New York.
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Damn, I knew lightning can be a powerful thing when striking a tree, but I didn't realize it can do so much damage. I though most of the damage was done from the fire afterwards...
I was at camp one year when I was a kid. Thunderstorms came up, we all went inside and started prepping for dinner. Lightning struck a tree about 200 feet from where we were in the (concrete and brick) dorms. Louder than god. The entire universe turned blinding white for a second. There was a loud pop from all of the electrical sockets. A guy who was drying his hair in front of a fan had the shit shocked out of him and was on the floor clutching his chest.
I assume feedback from the lightning strike backfed up an electrical ground somewhere, knocked out the power at the camp until late the next day. The tree that got his had all of the bark blown off of one side and a deep crack down the middle. It was cut down sometime later, I'm sure.
Anyway, lightning is some incredible stuff.
Yeah, very fascinating, I always enjoyed thunderstorms if only for the light show. I can't imagine what my dog thinks however, hes always under the table somewhere during one...