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3:07 am
January 18, 2011
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What counts for close........horseshoes, hand grenades......lightning.......Welding outdoors a couple of days ago I heard a rumble, then a few booms, a patter of rain........just a few more beads to go........CRACKBOOM.........The tree took a direct hit and I was welding on the other side of the building with the red tile roof.....100-120 ft away on the other side. I wannabe back in my shop pounding hot steel.........
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."
— Dr. Seuss
4:24 am
March 22, 2010
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Cool! I always wanted to be close to a lightning strike!
Whatever you are, be a good one.
Abraham Lincoln
5:29 am
March 21, 2011
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Just not too close....... [Image Can Not Be Found]
5:37 am
NWBA Member
July 9, 2010
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Larry L;11296 wrote: Cool! I always wanted to be close to a lightning strike!
It isn't all that grand. And it doesn't take much to be too close!
I was standing in a garage facing the alley when the transformer/pole about 20 feet away took a lightening strike. I picked myself up off the ground and looked around to see who hit me and why it was so quiet. Saw the arcing wires and burning post and still it was dead quiet except for a ringing sound. The real world sound came back in a few days, but I still have the ringing!
The next time I was standing in a metal trailer talking on the phone when I was knocked to the floor. The next day returning to the trailer I saw daylight through the trunk about 20 feet up a 150 ft cedar tree standing about 10 feet from where I'd been standing. We took the tree down the next week. That was the driest green wood you've ever seen! "Flash dried"
My son is the Blacksmith
1:18 pm
January 18, 2011
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Larry L;11296 wrote: Cool! I always wanted to be close to a lightning strike!
I've always wanted to to be close to a tornado, say 1/2 mile, but they move like slugs compared to lightning........
The coolest part was the building was between it and me.........We couldn't tell where it had hit, we found the tree the next day. I thought it was further away, and the tree hadn't collapsed yet. Bark was sprinkled in a 100' radius around the tree. I saw a big bolt land about 50 yds away when I was a kid and that was impressive!........Partying on a beach with my young son and wife people with hair (not me) noticed their hair standing strait out and saying COOL, check this out......I grabbed the boy and ran like hell..
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."
— Dr. Seuss
3:22 pm
March 21, 2011
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The closest I've been was watching a transformer get hit a block away below my balcony. That transformer erupted in the brightest blue and green flame I've ever seen. Couldn't hardly stand to look at it. Of course it knocked out the power but they got that restored in a couple of hours.
8:04 pm
May 13, 2010
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The worst storm I ever saw I was out in the middle of lake Ontario in a 24hr sailing race.
I always enjoyed a good lightning storm till two friends were hit while camping. One was knocked down and was paralyzed for a couple of minutes. He has a scar on his ankle where the lightning exited his body. Chris was killed instantly, his wife doing CPR immediately did no good. The worst part is that they were just getting their wallets out of the tent to run into town and go out for dinner.
11:31 pm
NWBA Member
September 29, 2010
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I was 16 or 17 running a dozer for my dad up on a ridge when the rain came up. He was just driving up to get me and we were going to quit for the day when he saw the bolt hit the overhead canopy of the Cat. I didnt really know what had happened other then it sounded like a bomb had gone off around me and I could smell the ozone. I couldnt understand quite why my dad was so excited and running across the landing to me. It was an old D8 with lots of mass to transfer the charge to the ground, never seemed any the worse for wear. All the analog gages in the panel were fine, didnt seem to affect the batteries or anything
5:46 am
September 7, 2010
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Brian C;11354 wrote: I was 16 or 17 running a dozer for my dad up on a ridge when the rain came up. He was just driving up to get me and we were going to quit for the day when he saw the bolt hit the overhead canopy of the Cat. I didnt really know what had happened other then it sounded like a bomb had gone off around me and I could smell the ozone. I couldnt understand quite why my dad was so excited and running across the landing to me. It was an old D8 with lots of mass to transfer the charge to the ground, never seemed any the worse for wear. All the analog gages in the panel were fine, didnt seem to affect the batteries or anything
The Faraday principle I believe it's called, if you are surrounded by something that is a better conductor that you then the charge will go around and not through you! Whilst I believe and understand the principal concept I'm too much of a wuss to try testing it!;)
12:12 am
August 14, 2010
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Yeesh. I've always wanted to see a lighting strike, but I don't want to be close to it. 😉 Bruce, you had it backwards.
Ian, I believe you're correct about the Faraday cage. Here's what it could look like if you weren't such a wuss. (drmegavolt.com)
[Image Can Not Be Found]
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