Flash to Bang

[Rams]

Just for fun, ever since I learned the way to do it, I have always tried to estimate the distance of lightning from my location.   So, I pay attention when I see lightning and start counting the seconds to determine that distance.   Just a mental game I play.

Have had quite a few thunder storms rolling through this Spring, so I've had a few interesting lightning storms to observe.   Tonight, my house shook and brought me out of a dead sleep.   The thunder and lightning was intense.   Even the dogs were scared.   Actually, I thought it was a pretty cool demonstration of Mother Nature's power.  

Looking out to the back yard onto the neighbor's property a bit later, I realized why that massive sound woke me up.   One of my neighbor's trees was smoldering and there wasn't much left of it.   Additional and continuing lightning is what allowed me to see that tree.   The tree will not survive and I got a good reminder of how powerful lightning can be.   Will get my chainsaw and tractor out and help him when it quits raining.  

I have been in aircraft before that were struck by lightning, a couple of times while in flight and once while the UH1 was sitting on the ground.   Interesting experiences.

This technique is called the "flash-to-bang" method, and it can keep you safe during rainy summer weather. The National Weather Service recommends taking cover if the time between the lightning flash and the rumble of thunder is 30 seconds or less, which indicates the lightning is about 6 miles away or closer.

This method is based on the fact that light travels much faster than sound through the atmosphere: Light travels at 186,291 miles per second (299,800 km/s), whereas the speed of sound is only about 1,088 feet per second (332 meters per second), depending on air temperature.

For metric-system conversions, follow this method: Sound travels at about 340 m/s, so multiply the number of seconds you counted by 340, and you'll know how many meters away lightning struck. A three-second count, then, would place the lightning strike about 1,020 m away, or roughly 1 km.

Rams

[hubcapsc]

We had a big oak that we hooked a hammock to with a chain.
Lighting hit the top of the oak, split the bark from top to bottom
an welded the chain links together.

-Mike

[Rams]

We had a big oak that we hooked a hammock to with a chain.
Lighting hit the top of the oak, split the bark from top to bottom
an welded the chain links together.

-Mike

Mike,
Mother Nature always has some surprises in store for us.   She can easily accomplish that.   That UH1 I mentioned being in that got struck by lightning was shut down, we had landed to avoid the turbulent winds.   It blew a hole into the rotor blade it struck and then blew another hole in the skid touching the ground.   The crew and I were just staying out of the wind and rain waiting for it to blow over.   Needless to say, we didn't fly that aircraft home that evening.   But, I had it back up and flying with in a few hours the next day.  

Rams

[Bret SD]

We had a big oak that we hooked a hammock to with a chain.
Lighting hit the top of the oak, split the bark from top to bottom
an welded the chain links together.

-Mike

Mike,
Mother Nature always has some surprises in store for us.   She can easily accomplish that.   That UH1 I mentioned being in that got struck by lightning was shut down, we had landed to avoid the turbulent winds.   It blew a hole into the rotor blade it struck and then blew another hole in the skid touching the ground.   The crew and I were just staying out of the wind and rain waiting for it to blow over.   Needless to say, we didn't fly that aircraft home that evening.   But, I had it back up and flying with in a few hours the next day.   

Rams

I was up hiking around on Mt Palomar and saw a Scrub Oak that had split down the middle from a lightning strike.

Amazingly the tree was still alive..

[da prez]

 If you see a tree with a long scar down its bark , it is usually a lightning strike.
 Pappy always taught us to respect lightning , but at the same time to enjoy the light show. We would watch the storms come in and see the different kinds of lightning.
 The one that always amazed me was (?) called heat lightning. It would go vertical in the sky and not seem to touch down.

                                              da prez

[Jess from VA]

In my childhood home, about 11yo, the 4th of July was a complete rain-out all day long.

So we kids were out on the small covered back porch after dark (in a big lightening and thunder storm), lighting small firecrackers and throwing them out into the yard to go pop.  If the rain got to the fuse, they didn't go pop.  My brother lights one and throws it out, and there is this tremendous flash of light and BOOM that scared the hell out of us (you could smell the burned ozone too) .  That was NOT that firecracker.  Two minutes later, we got a flash of lightening and it showed us a huge 70yo oak tree in the middle of the yard was complexity down.  And it came down perfectly between all the houses and garages (but it took a bunch of wires down).

We ran in and got mom and dad to see.  They said we could not be outside throwing firecrackers off the porch anymore.

But my most memorable thunder and lightening was out in the middle of Lake Erie sailing in an overnight race in a giant storm.  Your mast is the highest thing out there, as far as you can see in any direction.  And no land is visible anywhere.  They make cables you can raise on a halyard above the mast and grounded to the water, but we didn't have one.  

Then the wind came up (about 70, and still under sail) and put the top of the mast in the water, so the lightning threat was diminished, but the drowning threat was increased, as the 8-10 waves smashed over us.  

A 28 footer looks pretty good size at the dock..... but out in pitch dark beyond sight of land in a huge storm, it seems tiny as hell.    

[0leman]

Many years ago when working in high country of AZ, saw a tree that didn't look right.   The tree, a ponderosa pine, was some 50' shorter than it neighbors.  On closer examination, found that the middle 50' feet of tree was scattered around me, the tree had blown its middle out.  The top had fell down and impelled itself in the lower section of the tree.  Seen a lot of trees hit by lightening over the years, that was the strangest.

Seems to me we use to count the seconds between flash and bang then divide by 5 to get the distance from flash.  I grew up in northeast Ok, saw lots of great storms.  Watching the transformers blow was fun.  Now, here in OR,  we get maybe one good lightening storm a year. 

[Rams]

Seems to me we use to count the seconds between flash and bang then divide by 5 to get the distance from flash.  I grew up in northeast Ok, saw lots of great storms.  Watching the transformers blow was fun.  Now, here in OR,  we get maybe one good lightening storm a year. 

Your formula is damn close to being accurate or, close enough for government work.   
My golden rule is if lightning is within 30 seconds,    it's time to go inside.

Rams

[scooperhsd]

Yeah, the rule for pools is if you hear any thunder its time to go in, then wait for 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back in. More than once I didn't follow that (but my pool was in the middle of the woods).

[old2soon]

     I KNOW daprez IS a couple years younger than me but being as he didn't mention this I will. We were at his old place with 1st ex and we were all inside as it were pouring rain and thunder and lightning were Very CLOSE! The light and the sound were in the same flash BOOM! VERY VERY Close as we found out a bit later. The BOOM was louder than the 5" 38 naval cannon as we had on the USS Yorktown. Even before we opened the door the ozone smell and burnt wood smell Was Very Strong. 35' 40'? from the front door was a Huge Old Oak. It was still smoking and there was a new white diagonal scar on the old crusty bark. And some fresh kindling layin about. I also recall when it hit the hair on my head and my arms stood to attention.   Scared the kaka outa all the kids and one or two adults!   From my high seat in the 18 wheeler and from the flight deck at sea I've been witness-sometimes reluctantly-to Mother Natures Pure Raw POWER! A 747 ain't a small aircraft by any stretch of the imagination. But I've been flying in them when they'd been tossed around like a childs toy. Seen the Yorktown also tossed around like a childs toy. Scary chit that. RIDE SAFE.

[Valkorado]

Seems to me we use to count the seconds between flash and bang then divide by 5 to get the distance from flash.  I grew up in northeast Ok, saw lots of great storms.  Watching the transformers blow was fun.  Now, here in OR,  we get maybe one good lightening storm a year. 

Your formula is damn close to being accurate or, close enough for government work.   
My golden rule is if lightning is within 30 seconds,    it's time to go inside.

Rams

Was watching a Colorado forecaster years ago, who was reminding hikers to get off the higher peaks before noon.  She said it is feasible for a person to take a direct zap from a storm that's brewin' some 20 miles away.   

[Oss]

twice I have been close to a strike

One I was 13 and while on the screened in porch the lightning passes over my head (or did it come up from below? )  and strikes a tree 30' away, split the oak but the tree lived and is still alive   I dropped as the light blew everything white and the hairs on my body stood out  crazy loud and the ozone was intense

Then a year later walking the dog lightning came from nowhere and hit our neighbors new caddy he had just parked in his driveway and walked to the front door.  My dog let loose lol   It did not rain ?!

When in the middle of nowhere among the lightning with 2 big antennas on the Interstate I pray softly

[Rams]

twice I have been close to a strike

One I was 13 and while on the screened in porch the lightning passes over my head (or did it come up from below? )  and strikes a tree 30' away, split the oak but the tree lived and is still alive   I dropped as the light blew everything white and the hairs on my body stood out  crazy loud and the ozone was intense

Lightning goes both ways.   Don't ask me how I know. 

Rams

[RP#62]

I think I've posted this before, but once upon a time, I had taxied a DC-3 into the field following maintenance and was securing it due to an approaching storm.  I had chocked it and put in all the gust locks and about that time there was lots of thunder and it came a downpour.  I ran over to close the door and I got it about halfway up (it hinges at the bottom) and I heard a loud boom and the lights went out - my lights.  Evidently, lightning doesn't have to actually hit the airplane - if its close enough, it'll charge it up like a giant capacitor and if you're in the path to ground, you'll be the first to know.  I came to a few minutes later laying flat on my back in the pouring rain.  The first thing I thought was crap, the airplane is getting wet inside so I jumped up to close the door and it did it again.  This time when I came to, I thought f-this and ran back to the shop and told the boss someone else will have to close the door.   Now you know what's wrong with me.

-RP

[Valkorado]

I think I've posted this before, but once upon a time, I had taxied a DC-3 into the field following maintenance and was securing it due to an approaching storm.  I had chocked it and put in all the gust locks and about that time there was lots of thunder and it came a downpour.  I ran over to close the door and I got it about halfway up (it hinges at the bottom) and I heard a loud boom and the lights went out - my lights.  Evidently, lightning doesn't have to actually hit the airplane - if its close enough, it'll charge it up like a giant capacitor and if you're in the path to ground, you'll be the first to know.  I came to a few minutes later laying flat on my back in the pouring rain.  The first thing I thought was crap, the airplane is getting wet inside so I jumped up to close the door and it did it again.  This time when I came to, I thought f-this and ran back to the shop and told the boss someone else will have to close the door.   Now you know what's wrong with me.

-RP

 

Ouch! 

Reading that was like watching the more painful America's Funniest Videos.     I didn't want to laugh, but I did!

[Rams]

I think I've posted this before, but once upon a time, I had taxied a DC-3 into the field following maintenance and was securing it due to an approaching storm.  I had chocked it and put in all the gust locks and about that time there was lots of thunder and it came a downpour.  I ran over to close the door and I got it about halfway up (it hinges at the bottom) and I heard a loud boom and the lights went out - my lights.  Evidently, lightning doesn't have to actually hit the airplane - if its close enough, it'll charge it up like a giant capacitor and if you're in the path to ground, you'll be the first to know.  I came to a few minutes later laying flat on my back in the pouring rain.  The first thing I thought was crap, the airplane is getting wet inside so I jumped up to close the door and it did it again.  This time when I came to, I thought f-this and ran back to the shop and told the boss someone else will have to close the door.   Now you know what's wrong with me.

-RP

Some may suggest they have no desire to be near you in a storm.   I feel just the opposite.   Anyone that can survive a close lightning strike (twice) is obviously on someone's good list.   You must be living right (or at least trying).   Otherwise, you wouldn't still be here.  You sir have been blessed.

Rams