How to Stay Safe in a Lightning Storm
Summary
TLDRABC's Gio Benitez investigates the dangers of lightning strikes on vehicles during thunderstorms. Contrary to popular belief, rubber tires do not protect cars from lightning, which can melt electrical systems and cause fires. The segment features Sheena Easterday, who survived a lightning strike while driving, and Dr. Joseph Dwyer, a lightning researcher, who advises staying indoors and avoiding electrical connections during storms. The video dispels myths about lightning, highlighting the unpredictability and potential for multiple strikes, even on the same location. It also shares stories of lightning strike survivors, emphasizing the importance of safety precautions.
Takeaways
- ⚡️ Lightning can strike a vehicle while driving, causing significant damage and danger to the occupants.
- 🚗 Cars are designed to channel lightning around the exterior and down to the ground, but this doesn't guarantee safety.
- 🌩️ The myth that rubber tires protect cars from lightning is debunked; lightning can still penetrate and cause harm.
- 🔥 Lightning can melt electrical systems and even cause vehicles to catch fire.
- ⛈ Lightning is unpredictable and can strike even when there's no rain, or with clear skies overhead.
- 🏠 Being indoors is generally safer during a storm, but it's not a guarantee against lightning strikes.
- 👥 Lightning can strike the same location multiple times, contrary to the myth that it doesn't strike twice.
- ✈️ Commercial airplanes and tall buildings like the Empire State Building are frequently hit by lightning.
- 👤 The chances of being struck by lightning in one's lifetime are 1 in 12,000, with a 90% survival rate.
- 🏋️♂️ Survivors of lightning strikes often experience long-lasting physical effects, including muscle and nerve damage.
Q & A
What happened to Sheena Easterday during a thunderstorm in Florida?
-Sheena Easterday's car was hit by lightning while she was driving through a severe thunderstorm in Saint Petersburg, Florida, causing the car to shake and become smoky from the airbags.
What is a common myth about car tires and lightning protection?
-A common myth is that rubber car tires protect against lightning strikes. However, experts say this is false, as lightning can still strike a vehicle regardless of tire material.
How can lightning affect a vehicle's electrical systems?
-Lightning can melt a vehicle's electrical systems and, in some cases, cause the car to burst into flames.
What advice does Dr. Joseph Dwyer give for staying safe in a car during a storm?
-Dr. Joseph Dwyer advises not to touch anything electrical that can connect you to the outside elements, such as the radio, windows, or any other electrical systems.
Can lightning strike when it's not raining?
-Yes, lightning can strike even when it's not raining. It can travel through clear skies and strike with a blue sky overhead.
What is the average frequency of lightning strikes on commercial airplanes?
-On average, every commercial airplane gets hit by lightning once a year.
How often does the Empire State Building get struck by lightning?
-The Empire State Building gets struck by lightning about 25 times a year.
What is the probability of an individual being struck by lightning in their lifetime?
-The chances of an individual being struck by lightning in their lifetime is one in 12,000.
What are the long-lasting effects of being struck by lightning as described by survivors?
-Survivors describe long-lasting effects such as physical incapacitation, muscle loss in legs that won't rebuild, and the need for ongoing physical therapy.
What precautions should one take while indoors during a thunderstorm according to the script?
-While indoors during a thunderstorm, one should avoid going next to a window, using a landline phone, fiddling with electrical appliances, and taking a bath or shower to prevent electrical shocks.
What is the significance of the statement 'three strikes' in the context of the script?
-The statement 'three strikes' refers to the fact that some individuals, like Bob Edwards, have been struck by lightning multiple times, which is rare but possible, as lightning can strike the same area or person more than once.
Outlines
🌩️ Lightning Strikes Car During Storm
The video script describes a harrowing incident where Sheena Easterday's car was struck by lightning while driving through a severe thunderstorm in St. Petersburg, Florida. Despite conventional advice to seek shelter during storms, the script reveals that vehicles can be vulnerable to lightning. It explains that cars are designed to divert lightning around their shell, but the strike can still damage electrical systems or cause the car to catch fire. The unpredictability of lightning is emphasized, with examples of lightning striking vehicles and buildings, including a Boeing 757 and the Empire State Building. The script also dispels the myth that lightning doesn't strike twice, illustrating with the fact that commercial airplanes and tall buildings can be hit multiple times a year. Survivor stories, like that of Bob Edwards who was struck three times, highlight the lasting physical effects of lightning strikes, which can be incapacitating and cause long-term damage to the body.
⚡️ Safety Tips During Lightning Storms
This segment of the script focuses on safety measures to take during a lightning storm. It advises pulling over to the side of the road if caught in a storm while driving and avoiding contact with anything electrical that could connect a person to outside elements. Dr. Joseph Dwyer, a lightning researcher, recommends staying indoors, away from windows, and refraining from using electrical devices such as computers, phones, or lamps. The script also warns against taking baths or showers during a storm due to the risk of electrical current traveling through plumbing. The story of Sheena Easterday, whose family members have also been struck by lightning, serves as a stark reminder of the need for these precautions. The video concludes with a reminder that while lightning is a powerful and unpredictable force, following safety guidelines can help mitigate the risks.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Lightning
💡Thunderstorm
💡Airbags
💡Myth
💡Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)
💡Lightning Rod
💡Indoors
💡Electrical Systems
💡Survival Rate
💡Physical Incapacitation
💡Prevention Measures
Highlights
Surviving a lightning strike while driving is possible, but it can be a terrifying experience.
Sheena Easterday's car was hit by lightning in Saint Petersburg, Florida, during a thunderstorm.
Lightning can cause cars to become smoky from airbags and potentially catch fire.
The myth that rubber tires protect cars from lightning is debunked by experts.
Lightning can strike a vehicle even when it's not raining, contrary to conventional wisdom.
Dr. Joseph Dwyer advises not to touch anything electrical during a storm to avoid connecting to outside elements.
Indoor safety during a storm is not guaranteed, as lightning can enter buildings.
Lightning can strike the same location multiple times, contrary to the myth that it doesn't strike twice.
Commercial airplanes and tall buildings like the Empire State Building are frequently struck by lightning.
Lightning can incapacitate those it strikes, with currents reaching up to 30,000 amps.
Survivors of lightning strikes often experience long-lasting physical effects.
Being indoors is the safest place during a storm, but avoid electrical connections to the outside world.
Lightning can cause internal damage to electronics that may not be immediately visible.
Sheena Easterday's family has experienced multiple lightning strikes, highlighting the unpredictable nature of lightning.
Transcripts
you are about to meet a woman who
survived a nightmare scenario her car
hit by lightning while she was driving
conventional wisdom says to take shelter
during stormy weather but as it turns
out there could be dangers inside your
ride
so with summer storm season upon us what
should you do here's ABC's Gio Benitez
tonight shattered glass steel and a
frantic it was like a white bright white
blinding light the whole car just kind
of lit up sheena Easterday was driving
through a severe thunderstorm in Saint
Petersburg Florida
when all of a sudden her car shook I
kept pulling this and hitting the locks
but I couldn't it wouldn't work and the
car was really smoky from the airbags I
guess makes me not want to drive in the
rain ever again that flash similar to
what this police dashcam caught with a
lightning bolt struck right in front of
the car you can even see the jarring
force a lightning strike can have on a
moving vehicle look as this pickup truck
is jolted after taking a direct hit cars
are designed to divert lightning around
the shell of the car and down to the
ground and while many think rubber car
tires protect against lightning strikes
experts say that's just a myth
lightning can melt electrical systems
and in some cases caused the car to
burst into flames so and they say it's
one of many Lightning is unpredictable
and can strike a bolt right through
conventional wisdom and I saw the power
of lightning first hand covering storms
in Alabama this is the same storm that
was in Tuscaloosa lightning does not
strike only when it's raining in fact
lightning can strike quite far from the
storm lightning can travel through clear
skies and actually strike with blue sky
overhead so how do you protect yourself
when you're on the road first if you're
in the car during a storm pull over on
the side of the road and wait the storm
out second lightning researcher dr.
Joseph Dwyer says don't touch anything
electrical that can connect you to the
outside elements I don't want to be
fiddling with the radio playing with the
windows in fact it's best
to touch anything get in a building but
even being indoors doesn't guarantee
your safety
Teresa Celeste from upstate New York
told our ginger Zee how lightning
entered through her ceiling and struck
her on her couch while getting a foot
rub from her mother I was just sitting
here like this and it was thundering
lightning and one struck in the backyard
went oh my god mom that is so close he's
right there I saw the out lightning and
the next thing I knew it was the sound
and I went like this I guess and my
mother felt the jolt so right through
your hands you yeah I felt it she felt
that I don't remember feeling anything
I still can't to this day believe that I
was hit by lightning sitting on my couch
when it comes to myths here's another
one that old saying lightning doesn't
strike twice well that's just not true
every commercial airplane on average
gets hit by lightning once a year this
Boeing 757 had its nose ripped open
after being struck by lightning midair
shook violently just for half a second
New York's Empire State Building gets
struck by lightning about 25 times a
year One World Trade Center the tallest
building in the country was struck just
last week most Lightning starts up
inside the thunderstorm and as it's
coming down to the ground it's looking
for something to strike and there's no
reason it couldn't right strike the same
tree twice or the same area twice
multiple strikes are not just limited to
planes and buildings it can happen to
people too Bob Edwards was hit three
times I felt like somebody hit me in the
chest with a sledgehammer but for the
unlucky folks who do get struck and your
chances are one in 12,000 in your
lifetime chances are you will survive
90% of all those who are hit like Bob
Edwards live to tell the tale
three strikes yeah I don't got any lives
to spare anymore I've used all nine of
them I think Sebastian Cedeno just seven
years old at the time was hit by
lightning while standing next to a bay
window all the sudden we hear this
big crush and it blew both of us back
both of our hands went to our ears and
all I could see was my son on the ground
and his his foot was smoking and if
you're one of the people who gets struck
by lightning
Dwyer says it can be physically
incapacitating when someone struck by
lightning the currents will start
flowing through their body the currents
from lightning can reach say 30,000 amps
so as the current flows the voltage
between your feet in your head starts
rising to the point where you start
sparking across the surface of your body
others who survive say the effects are
long-lasting my lower legs there's no
muscles left in them it just
they will not rebuild I've been working
out with a trainer every week for 14
years and they just won't rebuild
Michael Utley was hit by lightning while
playing in a golf tournament
I heard the loudest bang of my life but
soon as that happened we turned around
and Mike was on the green scorched his
shoes were blown off and he was just
unconscious smoking some of the damage
may not have even been seen if you had a
laptop and you spilled a coca-cola on it
you could clean it up the laptop would
look the same but I don't think it would
run the same to make sure that doesn't
happen to you Dwyer again stresses that
being indoors is the safest place to be
one thing don't go next to a window also
don't talk on the computer don't answer
the phone if there's a landline don't
fiddle with the lamb don't connect
yourself electrically to the outside
world also it's not a good time to take
a bath or a shower the the electrical
lines can spark to the plumbing and then
shock you but for Sheena Easterday whose
father and uncle were both struck by
lightning separately they are fortunate
it all did an end in a flash for
Nightline I'm Gio Benitez in New York
you
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