"Weather Threat that Affects Most People, in Most Regions, Most of the Time" (LPI)
NEWS - Lightning Protection, Lightning Rods and Power Surges
About 1,250 lightning strikes recorded in Washington within three hours
(CNN) About 1,250 lightning strikes were recorded in western Washington state during a storm that caused widespread power outages Saturday night, the National Weather Service said.
A strong line of thunderstorms developed over western Washington, bringing frequent lightning, heavy rains, flooding and hail to the Puget Sound region, according to the National Weather Service's office in Seattle.
The 1,250 lightning strikes were between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. local time, it said. Of those, 200 were recorded in the Seattle metro area from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/09/08/us/washington-state-lightning-strikes/index.html
18 homes in The Villages have suffered damaging lightning strikes in past 15 years By Len Hathaway
In our June 3 article there was a discussion of personal lightning safety and preparedness for both the outdoor and indoor risk. In our June 10 article the discussion centered on the more frequent but less severe INDIRECT lightning strikes that can result in a surge capable of damaging your appliances and electronics. This article will address the less frequent but potentially more severe DIRECT lightning strike to your home.
What is the chance that my home will experience a direct lightning strike?
A direct lightning strike does not happen very often, but it can cause substantial structural damage with ensuing fire. The chance that your home will be struck is very very low, but it is not zero and is greater than winning the lottery.
This was demonstrated on Sunday, June 9 when The Villages Public Safety Department responded to several calls during a severe thunderstorm with cloud-to-ground lightning strikes. The garage of a home in Poinciana was struck and the ensuing fire heavily damaged the garage and the attic but thanks to the prompt action of firefighters it was contained to the area of origin.
This is the 18th home since 2004 that has either been destroyed or in this case damaged to the extent that it is not habitable. In none of these cases did the home have a lightning protection system (LPS) commonly called lightning rods.
Recognize that in our area we typically experience more than 100 thunderstorm days each year and all thunderstorms have potentially dangerous lightning. Another metric is that each square mile will receive about 40 cloud-to-ground strikes annually, according to Dr. Martin Uman’s book, The Art and Science of Lightning Protection.
What can be done to mitigate a direct lightning strike to your home?
Consider providing a LPS like ones that have been protecting people and property worldwide for more than 260 years. They have been the subject of numerous studies over the decades including rocket-to-wire triggered lightning research at the University of Florida.
You may have noted that The Villages has installed LPS on every pumping station, all sewage treatment plants, fire department headquarters including the adjacent emergency operations center, and nearly every building at Sumter Landing. Hospitals and educational facilities are required to be protected by the building code. Most large churches and hotels in the area also are protected, as is the Sharon Performing Arts Center and the Savannah Center, among many others.
more ……….
Ball Lightning
One of the many many mysteries of lightning - a hovering, floating ball of lightning.
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FAMILY SEEKS $3 MILLION IN DAMAGES OVER LIGHTNING STRIKE
McHenry County and the Village of Barrington Hills should be held responsible for damages and emotional suffering caused by a lighting bolt that hit a house in the village last month, according to a $3 million lawsuit filed in McHenry County.
The suit, filed by Robert and Alicia Olson, claims their 5-year-old son was almost killed by the lightning strike April 22 at a home the family has been leasing for three years on Haegers Bend Road. It claims that local and county officials should have known that lightning is a threat to homes in the area, and should have required lightning rods or other lightning-capturing systems to be installed.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-05-12-9905120267-story,amp.html
Lightning protection systems remain expensive, controversial Villages-News.com Aug 2014
Through August, September and beyond, meteorologists keep their eyes fixed on computers tracking weather patterns from the west coast of Africa which might become tropical storms or hurricanes as they cross the Atlantic ocean. Summer is usually a rainy season in Central Florida, with frequent thunderstorms, making us the ‘Lightning Capital of the U.S.’ Whereas The Villages area, with an average of 80 thunderstorms each season, ranks lower than Tampa Bay, which has recorded an average annual thunderstorm count of about 100, we have had our share of storm-related tragedies.
Historically, lightning has been a problem in many places on planet earth. In 1776, the famous bell tower in Venice’s St. Mark’s square was destroyed by lightning; and gunpowder stored nearby killed 3,000 people in the ensuing fire and explosion. Subsequently rebuilt towers there have burned down nine times. Today that campanile has good lightning protection!
Local Villages lightning gurus, Len Hathaway, and electrical engineer, Bob Freeman, are firm believers in lightning protection systems. “It’s ALMOST always a beautiful day in The Villages,” Freeman and Hathaway like to quip. They have amassed much knowledge from their long careers involved in lightning, and offer orientation