watch out for lightning

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The DW and I got hit by lightening in a Nissan last summer coming north from Mexicali while traveling at about 55 mph. It was unreal--I thought we were hit by some sort of bomb, as it was so loud and blindingly bright--and then the instant smell of smoke. We had just come through a bad storm and were relieved to have gotten through it when... BOOM! DW was driving and she froze up so I had to grab the wheel to get the car off to the side of the road. Everything was dead in the car, that was electric. Car was totalled even though the only body damage was a hole in the roof where the (small) antenna was blown off. Every computer in the car, I believe around 8, was fried and no one knew, if they were replaced, if anything else was wrong (since the computers were needed to ascertain that). Around $4,000 for just the computers but the insurance company didn't want to deal with having it fixed, only to find more and more issues.

Never will forget that, nor the exact place that it happened.




Michael

 
There is a video on the internet...

Man rips off a church during a rain storm
Cop chases him
Chase ends....When suspect's car is struck by lightening.. A direct hit.. Sounds like you took a near hit (His car was in pieces).

Very impressive... I recommend avoiding lighting if you can.. Lovely to look at (From afar) but not so nice to touch.
 
Tinmania said:
The DW and I got hit by lightening in a Nissan last summer coming north from Mexicali while traveling at about 55 mph. It was unreal--I thought we were hit by some sort of bomb, as it was so loud and blindingly bright--and then the instant smell of smoke. We had just come through a bad storm and were relieved to have gotten through it when... BOOM! DW was driving and she froze up so I had to grab the wheel to get the car off to the side of the road. Everything was dead in the car, that was electric. Car was totalled even though the only body damage was a hole in the roof where the (small) antenna was blown off. Every computer in the car, I believe around 8, was fried and no one knew, if they were replaced, if anything else was wrong (since the computers were needed to ascertain that). Around $4,000 for just the computers but the insurance company didn't want to deal with having it fixed, only to find more and more issues.

Never will forget that, nor the exact place that it happened.




Michael
Click to expand...

I experienced a similar hit with my dad when I was a teenager in a boat.  No computers back then.... but it did have electronic ignition and that module was melted
Everything electrical that was switch on was melted, while anything of was fine.... light bulbs, motors, etc.... for example, one windshield wiper motor was on... it was melted... the other one off, was fine.
The boat had a CB radio, and the strike hit the antenna
 
I was a crane operator for about 30 years. As you might expect, I was usually the tallest structure in the area...and usually very well grounded. I had lightning hit the boom while I was in the seat twice.  Both times in the mountains...once in Wyoming, once in Colorado. In both cases, the weather went from sunny with mixed clouds to dark and thunderstorms within minutes.
Scary stuff. In one strike, I could see the flash come down the wire rope...fortunately, no one was standing anywhere close to the rig, or they might have been electrocuted as the discharge hit the ground.
Damage in both cases was pretty minor. Had to replace some wire rope, and had a couple of bearings get burned. No damage to anything critical, nor to any of the electrical systems.
 
Friend of mine took a direct hit on his radio antennas.

Lots and Lots of fried electronics.

(He is ok, Nobody got hurt.  but the Radios.. Toast.. and one of those stickers at about $2,000.00 )
 
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