Lightning is an extraordinary force of nature. It seems to live in its course, bending and arching across the sky. When it hits the ground, it produces a blinding flash, vaporizing matter, causing trees to explode, and shattering rocks. But when it hits metal it can send sparks everywhere, as in the case of this video.
Arrested in a JR Motorsports parking lot in Mooresville, North Carolina, strike occurred at 9:24 a.m. on a Wednesday in January. A trio of trucks, including a Chevrolet Silverado, Ford Super Duty, and Ram, sit in the back of the lot, along with an SUV. Suddenly there was a bolt of lightning the size of a telephone pole, and sparks flew everywhere.
Hard to say what hit. Judging from the video, lightning struck the iron fence and the Silverado trailer behind the parking lot. Fountains of sparks shot everywhere, and while most of the vehicle seemed to have escaped untouched, the Chevy didn’t look so lucky. After the sparks dissipated, the headlights flashed, seemingly powered by lightning electricity.
Lightning makes for a great light show but is also deadly and can cause extensive damage. Last year a strike burned most of a Ford Super Duty during a July storm in South Carolina. In August, lightning struck a tree in Lafayette Park across from the White House, killing two people and injuring two. As for the fence at JR Motorsports, electricity runs throughout the fence, creating a light show at the front gate.
The best way to avoid being struck by lightning is to stay indoors. If caught outside in a thunderstorm, avoid trees, open fields and high ground. Stay away from tall objects and as far away from water as possible. According to NOAA National Severe Hurricane Laboratorylightning generates between 100 million and 1 billion volts, heating objects to more than 18,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
