Struck by lightning

[hudr]

This was the biggest, prettiest tree in this hay meadow. It is in the back of the meadow and I didn't notice it until I went to check on the rye grass hay that our hay cutter had just laid down. There are several large chunks blown several yards from the tree.
What really struck me (no pun intended) was how the middle of the tree blew out and the top seems to have fallen straight down through the split part.
The storm that must have done this wasn't even that bad, must've spent all its energy blowing up this one tree. There is a neighbor just a couple hundred yards from this tree, I bet she could tell us the exact second it blew up. It had to have been loud.

 

[Bird]

Lightning does do some funny things to trees, and I guess, occasionally other things, too.

 

[ToadHill]

When I was a kid, dad had a big hemlock that was hit by lightning and a large splinter about 5" around was driven right through a 12" maple about 4 feet away. He always referred to it as gods arrow.

 

[EddieWalker]

Interesting damage to your tree. What type of tree is it?

Eddie

 

[DieselPower]

It's amazing what happens when all the liquid in a tree comes to a boil in less than a second. Instant tree bomb! I bet that made a heck of a noise when it was hit.

 

[jinman]

This was the biggest, prettiest tree in this hay meadow.

Wouldn't you know it... That's sad that the most beautiful tree got hit. I have one big oak tree near a creek that is close in size. I'd be sick if it got hit by lightning, but I know it's a possibility.

How far away from the tree did you find pieces? I've found exploded tree parts up to 100 feet away.

 

[thcri]

That's too bad. It looked like it was a nice tree. We have a tree at out cabin that git by lightning. I called a company to have it removed because of the big split down the center. He went way up in the tree and used a come a long to pull it back together. Then he put screwed anchors in the two big trunks and chained them together, then removed the come along. He then put this black tar crap down the seem and then told me to leave the tree. That was almost 15 years ago and the tree is still there. Of course my damage wasn't as bad as this one.


murph

 

[Thomas]

Yikes..that's one large tooth pick.

 

[hudr]

Wouldn't you know it... That's sad that the most beautiful tree got hit. I have one big oak tree near a creek that is close in size. I'd be sick if it got hit by lightning, but I know it's a possibility.

How far away from the tree did you find pieces? I've found exploded tree parts up to 100 feet away.

Yeah, the gnarly looking trees never get hit. The chunk I am holding up in the second pic was about 30ft away. I have found smaller chunks much farther away. Bark is all over the place.

 

[CharlieTR]

Yep, DieselPower is right.
The lightning heats things so fast it is an instant boil and exposion.
Every person hit by lightning will have a big hole in their shoes from the instant vaporing of the perspiration between their toes. It happens so fast the person never feels the heat. And if the person hit by lightning has wet skin from the rain it will blow all their close off.