In addition, ground current can travel in garage floors with conductive materials. Because the ground current affects a much larger area than the other causes of lightning casualties, the ground current causes the most lightning deaths and injuries. Ground current also kills many farm animals.
Lightning is a major cause of storm related deaths in the U.S. A lightning strike can result in a cardiac arrest (heart stopping) at the time of the injury, although some victims may appear to have a delayed death a few days later if they are resuscitated but have suffered irreversible brain damage.
Aside from internal injuries, lightning strikes can burn the body. Some of these burns resemble Lichtenberg figures, which are wavy lines or skin lesions that look like ferns. Other long-term effects can include seizures, muscle spasms, memory loss, and cataracts from the bright flash.
Enormous quantities of energy pass through the body very quickly, resulting in internal burns, organ damage, explosions of flesh and bone, and nervous system damage. Depending on the flash strength and access to medical services, it may be instantaneously fatal or cause permanent injury and impairment.
Although the vast majority of lightning strike victims survive, the effects can be serious and long-lasting. Survivors have experienced debilitating injuries, burns and ongoing disability, including symptoms like seizures and memory loss.
A jolting, excruciating pain. “My whole body was just stopped—I couldn't move any more,” Justin recalls. “The pain was … I can't explain the pain except to say if you've ever put your finger in a light socket as a kid, multiply that feeling by a gazillion throughout your entire body.
Lightning strikes
It felt like a horse hit you in the back of the head, like a mule kick,” he said. “It was almost like getting the wind knocked out of you by a Mack truck.” Immediately afterward, Fasciglione said he felt energized, his entire body tight, ears ringing and then went numb.
High-speed, lightning research photos have shown ground-current arcs (sparks) as far as 60 feet from where lightning hit the ground. If you happen to be standing in a place affected by a ground current, it can travel up one leg, through your body―possibly stopping your heart or breathing―and down the other leg.
Lightning can travel 10 to 12 miles from a thunderstorm. This is often farther than the sound of thunder travels. That means that if you can hear thunder you are close enough to a storm to be in danger of being struck by lightning.
If you stay in the water, you could try to go deep, but it's unlikely you can hold your breath for long enough to avoid the danger." Fish, which usually move around at greater depths, are safer than human swimmers.
Most indoor lightning casualties and some outdoor casualties are due to conduction. Whether inside or outside, anyone in contact with anything connected to metal wires, plumbing, or metal surfaces that extend outside is at risk.
Aside from internal injuries, lightning strikes can burn the body. Some of these burns resemble Lichtenberg figures, which are wavy lines or skin lesions that look like ferns. Other long-term effects can include seizures, muscle spasms, memory loss, and cataracts from the bright flash.
Most houses are filled with many potential routes for lightning to follow in its journey. This can include gas and water pipes, electric lines, phone lines, cable TV/internet lines, gutters, downspouts, metal window frames - anything conductive in a house is 'fair game' for the lightning to follow.
A lightning bolt would explode the glass window before it would travel through the glass. Storm lightning is so fast that even if it were to hit a window, the window would shatter from the heat and speed.
Crouch down in a ball-like position with your head tucked and hands over your ears so that you are down low with minimal contact with the ground. Never shelter under an isolated tree. Never use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter. Immediately get out of and away from ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water.
(WMC) -Positive lightning is the most dangerous of the two types. It is more dangerous and can be deadly if struck because it comes from the top of a thunderstorm. The cloud tops at the top are positively charged, and can strike as far as 25 miles away from the main thunderstorm where the ground is negatively charged.
Like trees, houses, and people, anything outside is at risk of being struck by lightning when thunderstorms are in the area, including cars. The good news though is that the outer metal shell of hard-topped metal vehicles does provide protection to those inside a vehicle with the windows closed.
Whether you're swimming in a pool or the ocean, lying on the beach, or playing at a water park, you're in danger if a storm kicks up. Your best course of action is to get indoors and wait to resume water-based activities until at least 30 minutes after you've heard the last clap of thunder.
When lightning strikes, most of electrical discharge occurs near the water's surface. Most fish swim below the surface and are unaffected. Although scientists don't know exactly just how deep the lightning discharge reaches in water, it's very dangerous to be swimming or boating during a thunderstorm.
Lightning doesn't strike the ocean as much as land, but when it does,it spreads out over the water, which acts as a conductor. It can hit boats that are nearby, and electrocute fish that are near the surface. If you're at the beach and hear thunder or see lightning, get out of the water.
So, what's going on here? An electric charge builds up as part of a "positive lightning strike." The charge is what makes your hair stand up. You may not think you're in trouble if the storm looks to still be off in the distance. But that electric charge is a sure sign that you should get inside as quickly as possible.
If your hair stands on end, lightning is about to strike you. Drop to your knees and bend forward but don't lie flat on the ground. Wet ground is a good conductor of electricity.
Just before lightning actually strikes, static energy is going to fill the air. If you look at your arms, you may see the hair on your arms standing on end. You may also feel a physical tingling sensation throughout your body, especially in your extremities.
A lightning strike can cause brain damage by affecting the function of the central nervous system, motor neurons, and peripheral nerves. Lightning can also cause the heart to stop, cutting off the oxygen supply to the brain. In either case, the result may be a lightning strike acquired brain injury.