The likelihood of experiencing a lightning strike in a given year hovers around 1 in 300,000. What’s intriguing is that approximately 90% of those struck manage to survive, often bearing the aftermath in the form of a tattoo-like mark known as the Lichtenberg figure. However, the impact of a lightning bolt extends beyond mere statistics.
A lightning bolt can elevate the ambient air temperature to a scorching 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (27,760 degrees Celsius), a temperature five times hotter than the sun itself. The sheer magnitude of energy, reaching up to 1 billion volts, prompts contemplation on the potential havoc it could wreak on the human body.
Upon entering the body, the lightning short-circuits the delicate electrical signals governing the heart, lungs, and nervous system. This can lead to a cascade of health issues including heart failure, seizures, brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and amnesia. The intense heat, light, and electricity can also inflict damage on the eyes, causing perforations in the retina and contributing to the formation of cataracts, a clouding of the lenses. Regrettably, for men, lightning strikes may also result in impotence and a general decrease in libido.
As the lightning progresses towards the body’s surface, it forcefully propels red blood cells out of the vessels and into the epidermis, leaving behind the distinctive Lichtenberg figures. The extreme temperatures can also heat up any metal articles worn, resulting in severe burns. In some instances, the intense heat can rapidly vaporize sweat or rain on the skin, sometimes leaving survivors nearly naked. Let’s delve into the stories of some individuals who have weathered this extraordinary experience!
h/t: boredpanda.com, allthatisinteresting, businessinsider
The odds of experiencing a lightning strike in a given year stand at approximately 1 in 300,000.
Furthermore, about 90% of those struck manage to survive, often with the distinctive Lichtenberg figure as a lingering reminder.
A lightning bolt can elevate the surrounding air temperature to an astonishing 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (27,760 degrees Celsius).
This is a temperature five times hotter than the sun.
A cloud-to-ground strike can also contain up to 1 billion volts of power.
When this immense amount of energy enters the body, it disrupts the small electrical signals governing the heart, lungs, and nervous system.
This disruption can lead to a range of health issues, including heart failure, seizures, brain damage, spinal cord damage, and amnesia.
The intense heat, light, and electricity can also cause damage to the eyes.
For instance, it can create holes in the retina and contribute to the formation of cataracts.
Surprisingly, lightning strikes can also induce impotence and reduce libido in men.
The Lichtenberg figures are the result of the lightning progressing toward the body’s surface.
As it forces red blood cells out of the vessels.
In 2011, Winston Kemp, a skilled electrician, experienced a lightning strike.
Incidentally, the man is a circuit tester.
He recounts, “I went outside to save my pumpkins. After that, I was going back inside.”
“I just know it struck in our neighbor’s backyard, and it was bright and loud. I didn’t feel anything.”
“I just went back inside like nothing was wrong. Um… my arm was sore. <…> [It was] maybe an hour before I noticed the marks.”
“A few hours after it happened, it really started to bother me. The next day it was bad. Blisters started forming; they were large. They kept growing for a week!”
Lightning strikes occur around 25 million times annually in the United States.
Moreover, they can leave imprints on fields of grass.
Golf courses, in particular, can showcase these Lichtenberg figures.
These figures are named after the German physicist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, who first discovered and studied them.
