Guy's Dashcam Captures another Car Getting Struck by Lightning
Andrew Cunningham
Published
04/15/2022
in
ouch
Lightning is a truly awesome phenomenon of nature. It is almost magical in its appearance as well as beautifully terrifying. A typical lightning bolt/flash is about 300 million Volts and about 30,000 Amps. In comparison, the average household current is 120 Volts and 15 Amps. Another way to think about it is that an average bolt of lightning, striking from cloud to ground, contains roughly one billion (1,000,000,000) joules of energy. This is obviously not a small amount of energy, in fact, it is enough to power a 60-watt lightbulb for six months, as well as the refrigerator with the door open.
So what happens if a car is struck by lightning? Although every lightning strike is different, damage to the antenna, electrical system, rear windshield, and tires is common. The heat from a lightning strike is sufficient to partially melt the antenna of a vehicle and can cause what seems like a small explosion of sparks as tiny fragments of metal melt and burn. A portion of the discharge may find its way into the vehicle's electrical system and may damage or destroy electronic components, potentially leaving the car inoperable
From the uploader:
My friend was struck by lightning on 4-12-2022 in Iowa during a storm chase. I just so happened to be recording in that direction when it happened. His car was immobilized, and it is still being worked on.
So what happens if a car is struck by lightning? Although every lightning strike is different, damage to the antenna, electrical system, rear windshield, and tires is common. The heat from a lightning strike is sufficient to partially melt the antenna of a vehicle and can cause what seems like a small explosion of sparks as tiny fragments of metal melt and burn. A portion of the discharge may find its way into the vehicle's electrical system and may damage or destroy electronic components, potentially leaving the car inoperable
From the uploader:
My friend was struck by lightning on 4-12-2022 in Iowa during a storm chase. I just so happened to be recording in that direction when it happened. His car was immobilized, and it is still being worked on.
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