My sense of safety is somewhat diminished

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103]

Some years ago, lightning hit my wire ham radio antenna and blew right through what I'd thought were adequate lightning protections.

Attaching link to a Norman, Oklahoma, police car being struck by lightning.

Vehicle was empty at the time, just sitting in the parking lot, minding its own business.

I see what seems to be at least one tree behind it.

Trees are taller than the vehicle's roofline; I have to believe a police station would be taller than the vehicle's strike point; surely there were also flagpoles and other conductive structures proximate to this cruiser's metal roof.

This illustrates our superintendent's observation that "Lightning does what lightning will."

Watching this ... my sense of safety is somewhat diminished!

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/oklahoma-police-vehicle-damaged-by-lightning-strike/vi-AA1F89i9?ocid=BingNewsSerp

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Lightning is female.

[Texas Joker]

I wonder if active transceivers created an electronic sheath that acted as a better path?

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103]

That may well have been the case!

[Trailrider #896]

Some years ago a man was going to his car, having just attended an important religious service. He was struck by lightning just outside his car. He was seriously injured and I don't know what eventually happened to him. 

 

As far as protecting electronics against lightning is concerned. It would take a capacitor bank the size of a Minuteman I ESA room to take a strike! 

[Cypress Sun]

The Tampa Bay area is the 2nd most place for lightning strikes in the World and number 1 in the US from what I understand. I've seen some awesome and downright scary as hell lightning strikes here. A few where truly hair raising...seriously! We used to go out and watch it from our vehicles on the causeway and other locations. Back then, the sky didn't have the light "pollution" that it does now....it was almost majestic to watch.

 

Story has it that Honeywell spent tens of millions of $$$$ to protect there equipment with layers of surge protections. Within a year of installation, the got a direct strike...didn't help much.

 

When that bolt comes down, just better hope that you're not the connection point.

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

Call me confused but, I thought for lightening to strike it had to go to ground. And then the myth that lightening won't strike a vehicle because it sits on 4 tires???????

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103]

It does go to ground.

With those unholy megavoltages, current blasts from bottom dead center of the rims, runs like snaking liquid fire over tire sidewalls, and into the ground.

I forget where I saw the photograph of the phenomenon. 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

Years ago a large pin oak in our yard was struck by lightning. It appeared as three  bolts converging as one, a lot like the Ghostbusters “crossing the streams”. Killed that tree instantly. 

[Chantry]

Go on YouTube and search for lightning strikes

[Sedalia Dave]

Any tree or building only protects a cone extending about 45 degrees from the highest point. So if you had a 40 foot tower the protection area is inside a line from the top to a point 40 feet from the base. Anything that extends above that line is just a likely to be hit as the tower is. For example; A post 1 foot tall that was 39 feet from the base of the tower is just a likely to be struck by lightening as the tower.

 

Even objects inside the cone are not guaranteed protection. 

[Blackwater 53393]

In many cases, lightning strikes the higest point in it path, but it’ll jump to something else that has better conductivity on its way to ground.

 

Also! Some lightning strikes upward if the imbalance of charge is conducive to discharge.

 

”GROUND” in terms of lightning, is the end of the electrical circuit where there is a positive potential difference.

 

For the few of you who don’t know, electricity flows from negative to positive!!

[Sedalia Dave]

3 minutes ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

In many cases, lightning strikes the higest point in it path, but it’ll jump to something else that has better conductivity on its way to ground.

 

Also! Some lightning strikes upward if the imbalance of charge is conducive to discharge.

 

”GROUND” in terms of lightning, is the end of the electrical circuit where there is a positive potential difference.

 

For the few of you who don’t know, electricity flows from negative to positive!!

 

Yep but it also depends on your reference point.

 

Physical electrons flow from Negative to Positive.

The 'holes" they move into move from Positive to Negative.

[Blackwater 53393]

Figuring potential difference, the “holes” would move from positive to neutral, at which point current flow would cease unless induced by outside influence.

 

At least that is what I was taught in physics class.

[Dapper Dave]

1.21 gigawatts, Great Scott!!!