Lightning Strike - to close for comfort

[wish2fish]

Had to rush off the water today do to a pop up thunderstorm. Got back to the dock, tied up and got under our shelter waiting to ride the storm out...........then BAM!!!!!! Lightning struck a tree near our shelter. My ears were ringing and bark was flying off the tree. Thinking the tree was coming down we ran 200 feet up hill to our storage shed. After the storm passed we went back down the hill and and you couldn't see any damage to the sycamore tree except some of the thin bark was missing. At the base of the tree the dirt was blown out (exit ????)!

This is an old picture but the lightning struck the tree on the right and we were standing in approximately the same location as the photographer in this picture.

Having electrical problems now. Read about it here!

 

[Four Suns]

The sycamore tree is dead. What happens when lightning hits a tree is the water inside the tree right below the surface becomes super heated and explodes and the bark blows off. The dirt being blown out is probably from water that "instantly boiled" and blew the dirt away. I had a 70 foot oak tree in my front yard that got hit last year and it blew oak tree pieces 100 feet away from the tree.

Wonder what happens to your brain when it hits you....

 

[shilo]

That is close, glad you're all OK.

 

[wish2fish]

Gary,
I thought the tree usually split from the strike. Probably because what you are saying. The sycamore didn't but I have tried to split sycamore firewood before. It is impossible. I will keep an eye on the tree so it doesn't fall on the dock and boats.

 

[First Born]

Sorry to hear about the strike, but glad to hear everyone is ok. Good luck with getting the electronics back.

Wesley

 

[wkearney99]

Heh, that's a noise you won't forget anytime soon. When you're that close to lightning the BZZZ-ZAP noise it makes is tremendously loud. We had several strikes hit out wake when stuck out in a storm last summer. It still gives me a shudder recalling the static charge in the air just before the strikes.

Since your body's mostly water lightning tends to run through you better than trees. It has a harder time getting through all the tiny capillaries inside a tree, thus it tends to superheat and literally explode the tree from inside-out.

 

[wish2fish]

tree is starting to split. Leaves turning brown! Looks like we will have some firewoood for next year!