Thunder and Lightning

Degag

Just had a bit of lightning there. Just wondering, remember your parents telling you to turn off the tv, radio, computer and staying away from the windows? Anyone actually ever take it seriously and do these things?

I personally don't as it can be only a remote chance of lightning ever blowing up your tv.... it may even be some sort of Urban Legend

So AH, what precautions do you take during Lightning?

kraggy

Tv's and computers blow up all the time due to lightening.

Why would you think it's an urban legend? Cause it hasn't happened you?

What do you think surge arrests are for?

Collie D

Degag wrote: »

Just had a bit of lightning there. Just wondering, remember your parents telling you to turn off the tv, radio, computer and staying away from the windows? Anyone actually ever take it seriously and do these things?

I personally don't as it can be only a remote chance of lightning ever blowing up your tv.... it may even be some sort of Urban Legend

So AH, what precautions do you take during Lightning?

Thanks for the warning...I should probably turn the laptop off wile I'm in the bath

alwaysadub

I hide out in an underground bunker until it's all over..

epgc3fyqirnbsx

My mates phone blew off the wall during a mild bit of thunder and lightening a few years back. He was only on it a few minutes earlier and looking at the state of it, he would have been in big triuble had he still been on it

Degag

kraggy wrote: »

Tv's and computers blow up all the time due to lightening.

Why would you think it's an urban legend? Cause it hasn't happened you?

What do you think surge arrests are for?

Basically yes, Have heard of tvs blowing up but not because of lightning. I just thought it may have been one of those things parents say to their kids to frighten them (Every parent does it so don't take the piss)

Also, i have to declare myself ignorant of surge arrests i'm afraid.

mickdw

I know from experience that the electrical plug for cordless phones are a danger in lightning. We have had 3 of them explode in lightning. Eircom guy siad they are a fire hazard & has seen it hundreds of times.

CrazyRabbit

When I did tech support for the US PC market, we quite frequently got calls from people in certain states who reported destroyed PC's after lightning strikes. Power surges do occur and are quite bad for many electronic devices.

nucking futs

My grandmother was ironing during a thunder strike. The charge went down the cord, hit her, and knocked her unconscious for a few minutes. So it's no myth, trust me.

Aridstarling

We nearly lost a PC to lightning, modem and the phone line and all. Scary stuff as we were sitting aroud the kitchen table when a crazy blue flash comes out of the screen a couple of feet away. Amazingly it all still worked after, though the modem may have been fried now that I think about it.

bronte

nucking futs wrote: »

My grandmother was ironing during a thunder strike. The charge went down the cord, hit her, and knocked her unconscious for a few minutes. So it's no myth, trust me.

That's fucking nuts.

Have heard horror stories about laptops getting fried during storms.

nucking futs

bronte wrote: »

That's fucking nuts.

Yeah yeah yeah, you're at least the third person to say that now :rolleyes:

Degag

nucking futs wrote: »

Yeah yeah yeah, you're at least the third person to say that now :rolleyes:

I'd start to get used to it so;)

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Hate lightning, it ruins so many appliances...

GLaDOS

Wow, honestly did not know this

super_furry

Very very frightening.

OutlawPete

I was often gonna buy those Surge protector things when shopping for extension cables.

But then I'd look at the price being ten quid extra, buy the cheaper one and go to the cinema instead.

nucking futs

Degag wrote: »

I'd start to get used to it so;)

You're just jealous

Mr Benevolent

I'm beginning to wonder if most AHers think the lightning is just a harmless flash of light that does nothing more then nicely toast your bread. That's what the Daily Mail would tell them anyway.

bronte

nucking futs wrote: »

Yeah yeah yeah, you're at least the third person to say that now :rolleyes:

:pac:

InKonspikuou2

I did back in my home country and when i lived in the US. When a lightning storm rolled in it was serious shít. Over here it seems to be a rare thing.

Voodu Child

My grandparents used to turn all the mirrors in the house around to face the wall in a lightning storm. Havent a clue why

Semele

My uncle has a really gory story about a woman he knows who lost a few fingers like this...she was turning on a light switch when lightening hit the house and basically stuck to it! Apparently the paramedics thought there had been an attempted murder when they arrived because of all the blood and screaming!

Overheal

The Irish Phone network is abysmal in that there is no surge protection in many areas.

Back in 03 there was one bad Thunderstorm in the Ennis area - PC Stores could not keep modems stocked fast enough. And then the same thing happened 2 months later. Sh*t. Got. Fried.

You can believe some of these Thunderstorms we get in the US are more severe though. Its the warmer climate in most areas. I will of course eject my laptop cable and go on battery for them big feckers.

Local Florida News never fails to deliver at least a few lightning strike stories per season either. People do get hit, people do survive, they also die, and houses go up in flames - usually right after a Strike has disintegrated the upstairs bedroom and half the garage.

http://www.inspect-ny.com/lightning/Lightning_House_Fire017-DFs.jpg

And when the lightning travels along a gas line? Heh, you're fcuked.

bonzodog2

Degag wrote: »

I'd start to get used to it so;)

Maybe its a conspiracy ? :eek:

Ruu_Old

super_furry wrote: »

Very very frightening.

me, (Galileo) Galileo (Galileo) Galileo, Galileo Figaro, Magnifico-o-o-o-o