Lightning strike
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slowrev
Elite Member
Hmmm..... and I had always heard that a vehicle was a good place to hide in a thunderstorm.......With the rubber tires and all, maybe the steel belts have decreased the insulation factor of the tires ?
Harv
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</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I had always heard that a vehicle was a good place to hide in a thunderstorm )</font>
That's what I'd heard, too, but my understanding is that it's not so much the rubber tires, but the fact that a vehicle is a vessel. Electrical current tends to flow across the surface of a vessel (Faraday Effect?), bypassing the interior completely.
Maybe some of our engineering brethren can verify the theory.
That's what I'd heard, too, but my understanding is that it's not so much the rubber tires, but the fact that a vehicle is a vessel. Electrical current tends to flow across the surface of a vessel (Faraday Effect?), bypassing the interior completely.
Maybe some of our engineering brethren can verify the theory.
SPIKER
Elite Member
yep lightning takes least path of resistance, the extra 6 feet of STEEL was easier to flow through than the surrounding air. then the last bit of rubber insulation was easy to jump across/through. and if the tires are wet then there is 0 insulation when millions of volts of static electricity are involved... lots of people FEEL the shock of lightning disapating inside homes cars & stuff as the lightning current disapates it travels away from strike location and small fingers like spread out away form the dirrect strike. reason for this is the spot it is hitting gets charged up, that charge then creats a volage match as more current flows into the spot, the lightning has to LOOK for a better spot to get into ground through... same for people with hands in the dish water they are absorbing the voltage a bit helping out the lightning to "Disipate" it's charge across the biggest area it can.
you would probably be safer in the shower than in the sink as you would be surrounded by water which would help carry the voltage/current past you rather than into you... either way you will in sorts become a battery storing a bit of the electrical energy for the lightning.
this has nothing to do with becoming a lighting rod, where in essence it travels through you to ground this is the stuff that usually compleatly kills you or at least you will be permatly disfigured from the escexx electrical current flowing through you're boddy, basically cooks you by boiling the water which we are made up of.. the people who DO survice are usually hit by one of the FINGERLETS which have already become highly discharged over that of the main bolt. those are usually not surviveable... same for high tension wires /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif any contact with those you will become a roasted crispy critter as the electrical current goes through you. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
mark M /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
you would probably be safer in the shower than in the sink as you would be surrounded by water which would help carry the voltage/current past you rather than into you... either way you will in sorts become a battery storing a bit of the electrical energy for the lightning.
this has nothing to do with becoming a lighting rod, where in essence it travels through you to ground this is the stuff that usually compleatly kills you or at least you will be permatly disfigured from the escexx electrical current flowing through you're boddy, basically cooks you by boiling the water which we are made up of.. the people who DO survice are usually hit by one of the FINGERLETS which have already become highly discharged over that of the main bolt. those are usually not surviveable... same for high tension wires /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif any contact with those you will become a roasted crispy critter as the electrical current goes through you. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
mark M /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
MicroPilot
Veteran Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Hmmm..... and I had always heard that a vehicle was a good place to hide in a thunderstorm.......With the rubber tires and all, maybe the steel belts have decreased the insulation factor of the tires ?
)</font>
Never really bought that "myth". After all, the air is an insulator and that lightning bolt just traveled how many thousands of feet (miles?) through the insulating air to get to the ground, and a few inches of rubber is going to stop it?
)</font>
Never really bought that "myth". After all, the air is an insulator and that lightning bolt just traveled how many thousands of feet (miles?) through the insulating air to get to the ground, and a few inches of rubber is going to stop it?
slow,
I've heard that also about being safe in a vehicle.
I do know that the tires were wet and the tires were blown completly apart. All the steel bands were shredded into very tiny threads. The interior of the rim looked as if you had tried to strike an arc with a welder about 100 times all around the rim.
It could have been safe in the truck but I'll bet it would "rock" you.(I'm not ready to try it) The truck's computer was under the driver's seat.It didn't blow apart just burned up the inside.
While cutting the ditch I mentioned, golfball sized rocks we're blown quite a long distance.
GrayBeard
I've heard that also about being safe in a vehicle.
I do know that the tires were wet and the tires were blown completly apart. All the steel bands were shredded into very tiny threads. The interior of the rim looked as if you had tried to strike an arc with a welder about 100 times all around the rim.
It could have been safe in the truck but I'll bet it would "rock" you.(I'm not ready to try it) The truck's computer was under the driver's seat.It didn't blow apart just burned up the inside.
While cutting the ditch I mentioned, golfball sized rocks we're blown quite a long distance.
GrayBeard
MMM
Platinum Member
Your right about going where it wants. I've got an antenna mounted 8' above my roof that's attatches to30' pipe driven in the ground- my lightnin' rod. So lighting strike, where does it go? Furnace vent. It traveled through and caught all my flex duct work on fire through the support wirre. Of course it ruined every electrical component I had too.
MMM
Platinum Member
Your right about going where it wants. I've got an antenna mounted 8' above my roof that's attatches to30' pipe driven in the ground- my lightnin' rod. So lighting strike, where does it go? Furnace vent. It traveled through and caught all my flex duct work on fire through the support wirre. Of course it ruined every electrical component I had too. I'm just glad I was home to put the fire out.
kensfarm
Veteran Member
I had my meter moved last fall.. the inspector made the electrician ground all copper piping under the house and run it to the main ground outside.
