Local man struck by lightning

[JDgreen227]

Lansing State Journal, 6/10/04

A Delta Township man was taken to the hospital Wednesday after being struck by lightning while SITTING ON A TRACTOR waiting for a thunderstorm to pass. He was working on a sod farm and three other employees witnessed the incident, they said he was unconscious for about 10 seconds. His condition was not available late Wednesday.

Every sod farm I have seen is flat and I cannot understand why anyone would be foolish enough to remain seated on a tractor when a thunderstorm was in the area. In the past I have read that if you are in a car that gets hit by lightning you are reasonably safe because the rubber tires will insulate the vehicle so the lightning cannot reach a ground.

I assume the tractor had rubber tires but would have been grounded because it had a metal implement on the back.


Any comments or input? I am curious if the rubber tires actually provide a degree of safety.

 

[SnowRidge]

<font color="red">( In the past I have read that if you are in a car that gets hit by lightning you are reasonably safe because the rubber tires will insulate the vehicle so the lightning cannot reach a ground.) </font>

The tire bit is a myth. The lightning has travelled miles through the air (an insulator) to get to the car. The tires aren't going to prevent it from travelling a few inches more.

The car usually provides safety because the metal exterior provides a conductive path around the occupants. All bets are off in convertibles and Corvettes. A tractor with a metal cab? Maybe.

 

[TBAR]

Wow, this post hits home with me. I was chased of the field three times last weekend because of lighting. I knew I was pushing my luck staying out as long as I did. Wish I had gotten some pictures. Lightning hit and blasted the bark off four trees within a 20 yard radius on my property. I am guessing it was a single stike that did it.


TBAR

 

[higgy]

The tires are not the protection factor as stated above. The car act as a Faraday cage wich is a conducting structure around what you are trying to protect. This was discovered by Michael Faraday, 1791–1867, A British physicist.

The tractor does not qualify as a Faraday cage as the person does not sit inside of the machine surrounded by metal, unless the tractor has a metal cab.

Dane

 

[JazzDad]

Was this Faraday dude in his car when he discovered this?
/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[DaveNay]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Was this Faraday dude in his car when he discovered this?
/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif )</font>

Or flying a kite in an electrical storm? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Dave

 

[Fireman_dcb]

Tires (or any other NON-pure rubber such as sneakers, bicycle tires, etc) have impurities that will conduct electricity through them and complete the circuit and ZAP. The fire depeartment I belong to does a training session with Jersey Central Power and Light - amazing what will conduct electricity.

 

[Big_A]

If the tires were such a good insulator as many people think, the lightning would never hit the car to begin with. It is looking for the path of least resistance to ground.

 

[chucko]

Don't count on being safe in a tractor even with a cab. You are toughing too much of the metal to be safe

 

[SnowRidge]

<font color="red"> (If the tires were such a good insulator as many people think, the lightning would never hit the car to begin with.) </font>

That's not really the case. Even if the tires were a perfect insulator, the lightning would still strike the car. It would simply jump straight from the rim or chassis to the earth, right through the air.

The few inches of air from the earth to the bottom of the car are nothing compared to the thousands of feet of air from the top of the car to the cloud.