Don't stand under a tree when there is thunder and lightning

[ZackyDog]

Greetings:

I heard this when I was growing up and I'm sure that most of you have too.

Debbie Parker photographed this in West Virginia. That doesn't "look" like lightning, or does it?

 

[Killing Floor]

Shocking

 

[brookdalebill]

Wow!
A now deceased friend of mine got struck by lightning while riding his motorcycle in a thunderstorm, 40-ish years ago.
It didn’t kill him then, but it blinded one of his eyes, and barbecued him pretty good.
He was wearing a heavy belt buckle at the time, and the strike almost split it.
He recovered, and rode again.
He wore that belt buckle as a reminder the rest of his life.

 

[dogmeat]

yeah.... you're actually supposed to wear a metal hat when you hide under the branches

 

[Lou Tencodpees]

I remember a guy in Florida telling me about a guy he knew that was standing next to someone on a golf course when a storm came in. They were essentially standing back to back and one of them took a hit to the top of his head. Blew his teeth out of his mouth, killed instantly. The other guy was intact. Yikes.

 

[gimmeatele]

Being in the open ain't any better as this poor guy found out.

 

[metalicaster]

‘If complete and utter chaos was lightning, then he'd be the sort to stand on a hilltop in a thunderstorm wearing wet copper armour and shouting “All gods are bastards!”’

—Terry Pratchett (The Colour of Magic)

 

[johnny k]

If i remember correctly, i remember a post here of someone who had been struck by lightning 5 times in a row. I hope i am making this up, but it struck to me.

Do any of you remember that post ?

 

[TeleTucson]

Being in the open ain't any better as this poor guy found out.

Check out this analysis of the video:

It is unlikely this person got struck by lightning twice in quick succession - Full Fact

Inconsistencies in the video and lack of news coverage cast doubt on this event.

fullfact.org

 

[bromdenlong]

Check out this analysis of the video:

It is unlikely this person got struck by lightning twice in quick succession - Full Fact

Inconsistencies in the video and lack of news coverage cast doubt on this event.

fullfact.org

Okay, that makes sense. That shadow from the vehicle in the left foreground shouldn’t be there during the strike.

I fell for it, though.

 

[ZackyDog]

If i remember correctly, i remember a post here of someone who had been struck by lightning 5 times in a row. I hope i am making this up, but it struck to me.

Do any of you remember that post ?

I don't remember that post but, your post reminded me of this man:

Roy Cleveland Sullivan (February 7, 1912 – September 28, 1983) was an American park ranger in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Between 1942 and 1977, Sullivan was claimed to have been struck by lightning on seven occasions, surviving all of them. For this reason, he gained the nicknames "Human Lightning Conductor" and "Human Lightning Rod". Sullivan is recognized by Guinness World Records as the person struck by lightning more recorded times than any other human being.[3]

Roy Sullivan - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[uriah1]

We we camping a few years back and a pine tree right next to our
camper got hit. Sounded like a case of m80s went off.
Ranger came over to see if we were ok. What I never knew
is sometimes it follows a sap line down the tree and blows out
at the bottom. The pine bark and wood blew out at bottom to our trailer.
Was ok. But weird..looking up at the pine and following the blown out blackened
sap line all the way down.

 

[Trenchant63]

Greetings:

I heard this when I was growing up and I'm sure that most of you have too.

Debbie Parker photographed this in West Virginia. That doesn't "look" like lightning, or does it?

View attachment 1129022

That’s why I always stand on the OTHER side of the trunk from where the bolt is to stay safe (in this picture - I would have been on the right side of the tree - enjoying the view of this wonder of nature)!! I can’t believe the number of people who don’t know this! Feel free to reach out if y’all need any other safety advice!!!

 

[dsutton24]

I used to maintain tower sites for the Cable TV company I worked for. A storm blew up one day, and with the air conditioner going, the heavy insulation, and the TWT noise from the microwave equipment I didn't hear it. Something rattled the building and when I realized what was happening, I grabbed the steel door and got the hell out of there.

WHAM!

Lightning struck nearby and that steel door knocked me on my butt.

 

[Chester P Squier]

The scary thing is that I have heard "Don't be the tallest object in the area when lightning is striking" and "Don't stand by a tree when lightning is striking." Are these statements mutually contradicting?

 

[blowtorch]

This Park Ranger survived being struck by lightning on 7 different occasions

Incredible story of man who survived being struck by lightning SEVEN times

Park Ranger Roy C. Sullivan (US) survived being struck by lightning seven times.

www.guinnessworldrecords.com

It got so when a storm started, he would go sit in a separate part of the house to protect his family

Perhaps the most ironic bit is he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, distraught over some woman

 

[Peegoo]

The scary thing is that I have heard "Don't be the tallest object in the area when lightning is striking" and "Don't stand by a tree when lightning is striking." Are these statements mutually contradicting?

No, because if you're standing by a tree that is hit by lightning, the bolt can jump from the tree and go to ground through you. Back in the 70s two of my friends were walking on a beach; one was struck by lightning and the bolt jumped to the other at waist height. The one struck on the head died. The other was wheelchair bound.

That doesn't "look" like lightning, or does it?

Yes it does.

 

[BlueShadows]

Proper technique (if no shelter is available...being inside a house, car, etc. of course is best) is actually to get in the middle of an open field, crouch down like a baseball catcher with your arms clasped under your legs and wait it out. That way you're not the tallest thing around and there is a bit of a ground buffer (your shoes) between you and the actual ground.

 

[dkmw]

Being a Floridian, I’ve seen my share of lightning. Twice I’ve watched nearby trees get hit. Once was a long long time ago, at my grandparents’ house. A big flash and blast of sound, and suddenly one of the pine trees in my field of vision is popping and smoking from a spot where one of the big lower branches has split off.

And then during a mild tropical storm a few years back, I took my then-young son outside so we could dance around in the rain and wind just to say we’d done so. I’m looking at my kid and in the background I see the bolt come down and cleanly cleave a tree across the street, only 100’ away. Shaken, we hurried inside.

The only time I’ve felt a shock however, was when I was surfing and a bolt came down a couple hundred feet away, striking the surface of the ocean. Just a little tingle, but scary nonetheless.

It’s sad but we semi-regularly have people die at boat ramps when they are trying to get off the water but are a little late

 

[Stubee]

I spend a lotta time outdoors so have been close to some strikes. I gained a new appreciation for just how far lightning can strike 20-25 years ago. I was fishing on our 9,000A lake about a mile out from our cottage. I noticed thunderheads building to the north but judged they were several miles from the north shore so about 10-15 miles away. The sky over the whole eight mile long lake was partly cloudy.

We were drifting jigs for walleye when I noticed that when my hand was touching the rod and line that I felt a little “popping” sensation, like I was breaking little bubble wrap pockets. It happened again on the next cast so I told the friend fishing with me. He laughed and said “yeah, right!” as he was reeling in his jig. There was a piece of weed on his bait and as he reached to remove it we both saw the spark shoot from the jig to his hand! No more laughing; I yanked in the drift sock and floored that boat back to my hoist, both of us hunkered down & probably praying. I swear we felt our hair start to stand up before we got in.

We sat on my deck and watched thunderstorms roll in and it was a strong & long light show. I’m an inveterate weather watcher and studier and knew lightning could travel far and seemingly strike out of a clear blue sky and badly misjudged that storm’s distance. I learned my lesson and no longer boat with storms building around the lake.