One driver was in the wrong place at the wrong time and survived a very dangerous brush with the weather, which happened in a flash and, amazingly, was captured on video.
Published Apr. 14, 2022 8:22 AM AKDT | Updated Apr. 15, 2022 9:53 AM AKDT
Storm chaser Christopher Riske was out chasing tornadic supercells this week in Gilmore City, Iowa, about two hours north of Des Moines, when he accidentally caught something on camera that might be even more spectacular than a tornado.
When analyzing a video of his chase, Riske realized that he had managed to get a detailed recording of the exact moment a powerful lightning bolt struck his friend's car.
Sparks can also be seen below the vehicle, indicating that the lightning bolt shot through the metal shell of the car and made its way to the ground. Smoke can be seen.
In real-time, the strike is difficult to see. But when slowed down, nearly every detail can be seen.
The exact moment the lightning bolt struck the car, which was unable to start again after being hit.
When viewed in slow-motion, the strike first unleashes an extremely bright flash of white light. Once the brightness abates, a broken current of orange light remains, striking the roof of the car before the lightning vanishes into thin air, leaving behind a small cloud of smoke and a loud clap of thunder.
Riske told news aggregator Storyful that the person in the car "was fine" after the strike, but that the car was rendered inoperable by the bolt and had to be towed away.
"I have never seen anything like this before; this is an extremely rare occurrence,” Riske said.
While being in an enclosed car during a lightning storm is not as safe as being inside a building, it is a much safer option than staying outside.
"If you hear thunder, you are already in danger and need to go to a safe place," John Jensenius, the creator of Lightning Safety Awareness Week, told AccuWeather.
Although deaths in the United States due to lightning have fallen in recent years, 11 people were killed by lightning in 2021. Earlier this month, two people were injured by a strike but survived to tell their story.
A common myth regarding cars and lightning is that the rubber from the tires or the gasket around the windshield helps keep you safe, but that’s not true. Cars are a safe option because their metal shell acts as a "Faraday Cage" and helps disperse the lightning around an individual and can guide the electricity safely into the ground.
An EF2 tornado that struck near Gilmore City, Iowa, was caught on video ripping the roof off a building.
Cars can also be a safer option than being outside when riding out a tornado, like the confirmed EF2 tornado that Riske was chasing, which also tore a roof off a building. When you are driving down the road and cannot make it to a shelter, experts recommend staying in your car, secured into your seat belt, putting your head down below the window and covering it with your hands or a blanket if you have one.
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