Lightning !

[jinx]

Yesterday pm , a severe electrical storm dwelled in our area all afternoon. SPAMAs a retired EE I could write volumes on the lightning damage I have witnessed during my career.
But a picture is worth a thousand words, this large majestic oak tree fell a victim yesterday in my neighbors yard. The tree was peeled like an onion as you can see, the bark was blown to small pieces up to 200 ft away. The trunk was split several times.
Please be careful !
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http://dijobe.netfirms.com/lightning.jpg

[Bear]

Wow ! SPAM:o

Have been 50 yards from a birch being split in half
by lightning I lost my breath, SPAM:o sorta SPAMlike falling from
a tree or getting punched in the stomach, cows
in a farm SPAM500 yards were screaming.

It is powerfull stuff !

[Uranium-235]

the image isnt' loading. netfirms must be down :/

[Bear]

Does for me right now SPAM ???

[Uranium-235]

same here *now*

[Propig]

You know the old saying "Lightening doesn't strike in the same place twice"???? Well in the state of Florida, you are more likely to get struck by lightening than to be in a car accident or mugged or many other things. And it always strikes twice to make sure it gets it's target!

[MIK3]

crazy as that sounds that is true propig....its kind of weird if u think about it...yeah ive never actually experienced lightning touching down on any earthly thing before, but im not sure that i would have wanted to be there when it happened. SPAM How many of u turn off your machines when a storm is coming, for electrical reasoning?

[vee_ess]

I turn mine off. Not worth losing it for a while even though it is plugged into a surge protector with a guaranteed replacement up to $50000.

And your right that lightning does strike twice in the same place - a tree in my backyard has gotten hit by lightning twice (one time it split in half), and then it still grew back each time, we then chopped it down and it still is growing back. Maybe the third strike will be the charm!

[Propig]

Depends on the storm. If it is one of our "doozies" then I Unplug. We have had lightening hit the transformer a few doors down (scared the crap out of me)and when that happened the electric all through the house crackled for about 1/2 hour. SPAMI don't take any chances.

[jinx]

Yeah, and don't forget, if it's a 'florida doozie', unplugging is best but sometimes the bolt is so powerful that the 'Sphere of Influence' can still knock out sensitive processors etc, and you too if the 'Electro Magnetic Pulse' is powerful enough. SPAMIt is not uncommon here in Fl Big Bend Area to hear the light bulbs 'tapping' when they are not even on and sometimes zapped when the EMP jumps over switches etc.

[wizbones]

Pretty cool and pretty scary. It's good for business though. I replace allot of fried parts from electrical zaps n such.

Oregon used to be known for all our rain n storms, but over the last 10 years I just think we're losing our touch.

When I was a kid it'd rain for weeks on end. Now were lucky to get a few days in a row.

Nothing beats watching a lightning storm out on the front porch late in the evening with a steady downpoor SPAM:D

[Propig]

Awesome watching in come in over the ocean too! Especially at night. It's like watching fire works!

Wiz, are you anywhere close to the fires?

[wizbones]

Nope the fires are Central and East Oregon.

I'm about 13 Miles east of Salem. Not much going on out here in Stayton. Other than it's hot SPAM;D

[Bear]

Have seen lightning storms in Arizona dessert quite
awsome

[MIK3]

oh heck yeah..the lightning storms here are frickin awesome, but when it comes down to the fires...they down right freaky! SPAMbut the sight in the skie sure can make ur eyes light up! SPAM :o SPAMand some of them look like they can go on forever, and that they light up the entire sky...yeah its cool, and its cuz of the warmth that we have here...its like and energizer...sweet eh?

[jinx]

Yeah, I agree, lightning storms .. just to watch are very beautiful and awesome, natures very own fireworks show. Lightning also performs very natural functions, like restoring the nitrogen balance, and was natures way of controlling wild fires, until 'smokey bear' decided he could do a better job to which everyone is now probally paying for his mistakes.

[vee_ess]

Yeah, lighting is awesome, and IMO, it's better than fireworks because it's always different. Plus you can feel the lightning (if you're close enough); the only feel from the fireworks is the boom. And, like soccer_stud said, it brings rain and cools the place down; yesterday we only got to 108.

About those fires, on one of the days, you could see the smoke from fires on both the North and the South (of Phoenix) if you got up high enough.

[Propig]

Almost feeling your heat. We had 91, but with the humidity level it felt like 106.

I almost got sunburned walking across the street.

Now I know what a lobster feels like! First you put water in the pot(1 1/2 months of rain) then you turn on the heat(sun, sun and more sun) SPAMand add the lobster. Lastly you rip off the butt and eat it up. Must mean a hurricane is going to hit... my guess is August 15. I better stock up the beer!

[MIK3]

yeah now that the storms are comming over here way way west...mix the 106 degree temperatures with the rain and wet everywhere, IT IS SO HUMID!!!! SPAMits like u cant even breath when u walk outside, not good for sports, but luckly my soccer has moved on to indoor! ;D

[Propig]

Ahhhh, soccer_stud. You know what it is like to be a lobster too!
You need to come to South Florida to learn how to breathe water! I don't think I have ever seen the humidity level fall below 70%.

[Grinnin Reaper]

I lived in Georgia for 3 hot years after a year in Mississippi. SPAMMy poor little Hillbilly but had to head back north. SPAMNo thanks you can keep the heat. SPAMI got tired of swimming to my truck to go to work. SPAMAnd on the other topic I don't normally unplug my stuff. SPAMI just make sure my phone jack has surge protection on it too. SPAMMore stuff gets fried throught the phone that the electic outlet.