Anyone been near to a lightning strike or seen the aftermath?

fricatus

Watching the lightning strike all around me from my kitchen in Waterford yesterday I got to thinking that there must have been about 100 or more locations around the city and east Waterford where lightning struck during the day, plus countless more further afield.

However I've never been right up next to a lightning strike or seen any damage caused by one. I have of course seen stories in the media of people getting killed and chimneys getting blown to smithereens, but that tends to be very very isolated, e.g. maybe one chimney in the whole country after a series of fairly substantial storms like yesterday.

So what happens in the majority of strikes? Do they tend to hit lightning conductors, pylons, etc. and harmlessly dissipate? Or do they leave behind only small amounts of damage that wouldn't really be noteworthy?

weisses

A couple of years back lightning struck A neighbours chimney 10 feet away from me ... scared the crap out of me ..... Strange sensation as well because you feel/hear the sound/wave moving away from you instead of seeing a flash and then a couple of seconds later hear the rumble. Difficult to explain but got the adrenaline rushing nonetheless

hairybelly

Yep. Its the loudest thing I've ever heard in my life. Gave me a huge fright and I jumped.
Never got to inspect the damage because it was raining so heavily.

Theres a few videos posted in here of captured up close lightening strikes from the thunder storms earlier this year. Cant find them now though.

deandean

A few years ago I was sheltering from a cloudburst under a tree, when lightening struck another tree about 50m from me :eek::eek::eek:

I saw the tree trunk light up white-hot, it pulsed for a second, then a big puff of smoke came up from the tree.

There was a huge bang, and the power of it all was very, very frightening.

Victor

Twice actually.

The first time, it struck the road 10 metres away as we were looking out the front window. There was a collective :eek:

The second time I was standing on a sand dune when it hit the beach 30-50 metres away. I hit the deck rather fast.

Wise Old Elf

Working in an office in Dublin 14 back around 1999 and the complex got a lightning strike. Immense flash and explosive bang, what I imagine a bomb might sound like. Frightened the bejesus out of me, a few of us just looked stunned for a second, then realised what had happened. It blew the phone lines out of commission for a few days.

PukkaStukka

Lightning hit a lamp post near where I was walking in '86 after watching Simple Minds in Croke Park. Took me a second to realise what happened but the noise was like a loud crack and instananeous explosion at the same time. All of the street lights and a few houses were plunged into instant darkness.

Later that night and during the same storm, a house about half a mile from me was struck on the Chimney. I didn't see the flash but I lept about three feet with the fright of the subsequent explosion. The reminants of the chimney were in the front garden and the unfortunate home owner said that the chimney breast inside the house had cracked open like the grand canyon by the lightning as it found its way to earth. Impressive and frightening at the same time.

Awaaf

Yes on holidays. Saw the bolt hit higher ground just outside house I was staying in. The bang caused me to hit the deck instinctively. There was a crackling sound from the wiring of the house (which was old).

maquiladora

About 15 years ago I was caught out in the open under a sudden and unmerciful thundershower. There was one strike, I don't know how close it was, but it was extremely close. I could feel a tingle like a static shock going up my body immediately followed by one of the loudest sounds I ever heard in my life and a blinding flash. Unforgettable and f@#king terrifying. :eek:

Larbre34

As a child, my OH was blown out of her kitchen and down the hall by a strike that came up through the pipes and into the steel sink assembly as she was washing up. Obviously I wasnt around to see it but her siblings tell the tale of the flash and audible static as well as her disorientation and stiffness for a while after.

They laugh a lot at it as she wasnt seriously hurt, but she has a terrible phobia of thunderstorms, perfectly justified as shes been through it and its heartbreaking to see a child like fear overcoming a mature rational woman when ever we do get a rare thunderstorm. If we lived in the south east the last few days I imagine she would have lost her reason altogether....

Elmer Blooker

PukkaStukka wrote: »

Lightning hit a lamp post near where I was walking in '86 after watching Simple Minds in Croke Park. Took me a second to realise what happened but the noise was like a loud crack and instananeous explosion at the same time.

That's exactly how I would describe it too - a loud crack and an instantaneous explosion when a lightning strike is a bit too close for comfort!
I remember years ago I heard thunder when it was straight overhead and I can only describe it as a terrifying ripping sound like a paper bag being torn, haven't heard anything like it since.

Tabnabs

A good few years ago I was on a flight into Manchester Airport when the plane was struck by lightening. The whole cabin light up for a split second and there was a hell of the thump. When we landed, some poor guy was taken off strapped into a special medical trolley and was receiving oxygen. A service crew came aboard and checked things over before we were cleared to continue to the final destination. It's actually more spectacular when you see what's going on outside the plane than what I witnessed inside.

r3nu4l

In 2003 in Universal Studios, Florida. There was a massive rain shower and some strikes around us but then I felt the air heat up all around me, and the hairs on my arms stood up. Then I heard the loudest explosion I've ever heard in my life and the ground literally shook around me. It didn't strike me and I didn't see what it actually hit but it was impressive.

GAAman

Yeah I was in S.A and saw forked lightning for the first time in my life. There was a fairly big forrest a few feet from the back garden and i saw a huge tree get hit and break apart.

As there was no rain a fire soon started between dry grass and the bark, as I headed toward it hoping the metal band on the hose's end wouldn't attract another strike I thought the smell was very different to say a bonfire or burning wood at home, was kind of an acrid smell.

Kayly

I was on an Aerlingus plane from Boston landing in Dublin during a storm in 2012- flashes of lightening - then one hit the plane- there was a loud bang, followed by TOTAL silence from the passengers- scared the Jebus out of everyone...landed fine though.Id say a few passengers mightve needed to change their pants..:P
My(detached) house has been hit twice- The first time it wrecked the motherboard in the pc, which was turned on at the time, and the second time fried the burglar alarm- which wouldn't stop then and blared for a couple of hours till we got it to shut up. All incidents a good few years apart, but looking at them written together...thinking I shoudnt be as nonchalant as I am about thunderstorms...:)

Sparks

A decade or so ago, the tree outside my house was hit while I was sitting by the window about 40-50m away. Sound like a small bomb going off, the after-image of a flash without actually seeing the flash, it blew out windows in the surrounding area, caused the roots of the tree to explode out of the ground like detcord when the sap superheated, and of course it fried my modem completely and tripped half the circuit breakers in the place.

Not an experience I'd care to get a closer look at.

snowstorm445

My family have had some very weird experiences with thunder and lightning.

Years ago, when I was only 9, I witnessed what I think was ball lightning. It followed me, my brother and my Dad up the road whilst we were driving, going at the same speed that we were, and then when we stopped to investigate, it simply vanished (no pop or explosion).

A few years afterwards, an uncle of mine told me about an incident where his car was hit by lightning. Apart from the obvious deafening bang (which lead to ringing in his ears for hours afterwards), it left a distinct smell of sulphur. The car acts as a Faraday cage, meaning that occupants in the car are generally safe from the lightning itself, but it certainly sounds like a terrifying experience.

looksee

The lightning took out my modem yesterday, so I phoned Eircom and they arranged to send me another, which true to promise came today. When I answered the door to the delivery man I said 'oh good!' and he said 'yes, you and several hundred others in Tramore today!' So while the storm was circulating around the area it was apparently frying modems all around.

We are very high in the surrounding area and in a storm a few years ago the gable end of one of the houses was hit, left a hole in the wall and also had lights flashing and alarms going in all the cars parked in the street.

Video

2 Close encounters, back in april i was looking out the window (didn't even know storms were forecast for that day) and the sky looked fine...i noticed a plane flying really low outside my house and all of a sudden a bolt came out of nowhere, it either hit the plane or it hit somewhere in my back yard, there was absolutely 0 seconds between the bolt and the thunder so it was insanely close, kind of freaked me out a little that day.

The second one was when an elevated cell drifted in from france and managed to survive the journey, it went over limerick then out to us here in the schticks.. i heard distant thunder as it was approaching then all of a sudden a bolt hit the field across from our house... shook the house with the boom. Loudest thunder i've ever heard.

I'm a fan of thunder and lightning but i'm not a fan of those very close encounters even though you get an awesome adrenaline rush.

emmetlego

Sadly I witnessed a kid in Tallaght being struck by it years ago, was out watching a football game in a park. Ne're forgotten. Mother nature has strong powers

vicwatson

V interesting article here..

http://www.independent.ie/life/i-woke-up-and-i-couldnt-walk-couldnt-do-anything-what-its-like-to-be-struck-by-lightning-and-survive-30651057.html

allthedoyles

Wednesday evening 8th Oct , I was just about to open the car door , and I heard a click , and then a massive bang of lightening.

It was like a huge fireball, like something you see in the movies ...

Rougies

A very relevant video was recorded in Waterford yesterday. Holy **** indeed!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOpJNHz5NOc

EDIT: check out the video description for a link to the same strike caught on camera from another building. gg Waterford!

Victor

GAAman wrote: »

was kind of an acrid smell.

snowstorm445 wrote: »

it left a distinct smell of sulphur.

Is suspect it was more likely ozone or nitrous oxide (when you breathe it in will change to nitric acid in your nose and mouth).

Essentially the extreme temperatures change the chemical composition of the nitrogen and oxygen in the air.

SterlingArcher

Lightning struck a girl I was dating before.
She turned around and saw me standing there, 50 thousand volts of handsome ran through her eye sockets.

She is lucky to be alive. The doctor said had I have not been dressed just casual she could have been killed.

But in other news I was on a plane hit by lightning. Yuck.

NeonCookies

Our house got hit twice when I was a kid. The first time fried the burglar alarm - I remember it going off for ages before we managed to stop it! I can't remember the damage the second time.... My dad now freaks out whenever he hears thunder, and goes around the entire house plugging everything out - including the internet, which was always annoying!

squonk

Few years ago I was in Belgium for a holiday. We had glorious weather but one day the heat started to spark off a thunderstorm later in the evening. I was out and about watching the lightening until it dawned on me that this was Belgium where there aren't so many trees and the countryside is incredibly flat! I headed indoors and was chatting with a friend of mine when, all of a sudden, I saw a flash and an allmerciful bang of thunder practically instantaneously. I have no idea what was hit and I wasn't going to check either. I'm normally cool and level headed during thunder but I jumped with the shock I got this one time!

ch750536

Earlier this year and I posted here when it happened. Hit the power pole in the back yard & fried the treatment tank. I suspect the charge went down the pole, through the wet ground to the tank.

At the time all I was out the front of the house, stormwatching. Huge flash & bang straight overhead, I scuttled into the house and the power was off.

3 days later ESB told us to get an electrician as their side was fine & fair enough it was a frigged tank.

cherryghost

17 years ago in Majorca, was out at the poolside when there was a sudden thunderstorm, massive bang that nearly deafened me, and a strike of lightning that hit a tree beside the pool, about 20 metres from me, instantly cutting about a third of it off the top. Was terrifying.

Tarzana

When I was a kid, we were driving along at night in a thunderstorm. As we approached a level crossing, we saw lightening strike the track right in front of us. Very cool. :cool: I'll never forget it! I felt quite safe too, what with being encased in a big Faraday cage!

Roen

I was running across the main road down the hill where I'm from when I was 16 and a bolt hit the ground about 30cm from me. A chip of the road surface flew up and smacked me in the leg. I jumped about as high as anyone ever has and sped up considerably.

The noise was terrific and it took me about half an hour for my heart rate to return back to normal

Called into a friends house and she asked me why I was so white.
I consider myself very, very lucky. The road was awash and it landed so close that I was sure I should have been fried.

prosaic

Roen wrote: »

I was running across the main road down the hill where I'm from when I was 16 and a bolt hit the ground about 30cm from me. A chip of the road surface flew up and smacked me in the leg. I jumped about as high as anyone ever has and sped up considerably.

The noise was terrific and it took me about half an hour for my heart rate to return back to normal

Called into a friends house and she asked me why I was so white.
I consider myself very, very lucky. The road was awash and it landed so close that I was sure I should have been fried.

when you're running, you only have one foot on the ground at a time and only for a short time. Could be that that savedyou from a direct hit or shock from adjacent strike on the ground.

prosaic

I recall being on the high cliff on Inis Mor, Aran Islands. Everyone near the cliff started having their hair staning up in the air from high static. We decided to clear off from the cliff. No strike happened though it seemed like it should have with that amount of static. Maybe some cliff effect? Can't recall any very large cumulous but not sure as it was maybe 20 years ago.

bnt

I've had lightning strike about 10 feet from me, as I was looking out the window during a rainstorm. Apart from the lightning itself and the very loud bang, there was no other sign that it had happened - not even a bit of scorched grass.

Roen

prosaic wrote: »

when you're running, you only have one foot on the ground at a time and only for a short time. Could be that that savedyou from a direct hit or shock from adjacent strike on the ground.

Hadn't actually thought of that. Even after learning since that you should hop away from any downed electrical cables. I never applied that knowledge to my situation. Cheers.

The One Doctor

Incidentally, about 90% of people hit directly by lightning survive.

Mars Bar

The One Doctor wrote: »

Incidentally, about 90% of people hit directly by lightning survive.

I read it is because it hits you for milliseconds so it's not long enough to fry your vital organs.

Storm 10

I was in Ibiza Town a few years ago during a thunderstorm, we were waiting for the coach to take us back to our hotel near a Marina, there was a huge flash from fork lightning that hit the water on front of us, the noise was deafening and the smell of burning afterwards was in the air, it frightened the s..t out of us. That was no more than a few hundred feet from us.

NIMAN

A thread I started a while back

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=76329062

If the lightning didn't actually hit the car, it was very close to it.

Popoutman

Preparing to get onto the the Sorba Slides in the Piedmont region of the Italian Alps last summer for some fairly extreme kayaking, a thunderstorm started up overhead. We delayed getting ready, as sharp-edged wet paddles provide pretty good point-field-effect transitions for the huge electric field potentials to cause us problems when on the water. Sitting under a bus shelter during the downpour I was thoroughly enjoying the spectacle, when about 30m in front of me on the edge of the ridge above the village, a bolt went through a tree right on the ridgeline. It was very pretty to see the tree's shape delineated by a hugely bright purple glow, followed by the tree's effective disintegration. The bolt came from behind and overhead, as the sound was felt/heard sooner than the distance would have suggested. Also, during the same storm, another strike hit the hillside about 100m away from me, just on the opposite side of the valley. A much bigger strike, but with a very noticeable tenth of a second or so from light to sound. I didn't feel any local charge buildup either time but we decided as a group to go for coffee and delay throwing ourselves down those waterfalls for a little while anyway!

It's funny how many odd fallacies have come up with lightning and strikes. The presence of metal has much less bearing on the likelihood of being struck than you'd think - it's all about the shape of stuff. Pointy or edged stuff is much more likely to create a leader than something round and smooth. Something metal and kinda pointed may create a leader more readily than a sharp insulator due to electron mobility in the metal but under the huge potentials involved it won't make that much difference. Being saturated wet is a protection as well, allowing the charge path to go through the water on your clothes than through your skin, though there is still the risk of burns from water flashing to steam on your skin. Kayaking during a thunderstorm is a high risk as the paddles are usually sharp edged so they are strike targets even if made from decent insulators like fiberglass or composites, and the paddles also may be a more amenable path to the riverbed to ground than the surrounding water may be. Also kayakers would likely be the tallest thing in the vicinity..

If you feel the air charge up, put your feet together, squat down and form as tight a ball as you can. Try to get to a hollow in the ground, and stay away from things that outcrop such as boulders and trees. Don't lie down, don't put your hands on the ground, don't worry too much as there's nothing you an really do

If there's a strike within ~10m or so of you, if your feet are far apart, the charge dissipation from the strike point may find that the path up and down your legs is less resistance than that through the ground between your feet, giving you a nasty shock. This is the reason why many farm animals die from a lightning strike.