Myths about lightning strikes

Posted on October 26, 2014 by heightw in Blog Entry

As a destructive and often frightening force of nature, lightning is the subject of many myths, many of which are completely untrue. Here we aim to dispel the myths and help you feel more informed about lightning and how it can affect your property.

  • Holding a certain item can result in you being hit by lightning. This myth has been perpetuated about everything from golf clubs to headphones, but simply isn’t true. A lightning strike chooses the path of least resistance to the ground, which certainly doesn’t mean it will do so via an item that you’re holding. There is a small chance that you may be struck, but it has nothing to do with what you are holding or wearing and more to do with the lightning seeking out the path of least resistance. In most cases, this is usually a taller building equipped with lightning protection, or even trees.
  • Lightning rods attract lightning. Lightning rods do not attract lightning. They simply work by offering a path of least resistance, and are connected to a wire made of a conductive metal which helps the charge travel through to the ground where the energy is dealt with by a surge protector.
  • You shouldn’t touch the victim of a lightning strike. The body carries no electrical charge and, once struck, the lightning passes into the ground rather than remaining in the person’s body.
  • Lightning never strikes twice. Many buildings experience multiple lightning strikes. Tall skyscrapers and towers can even be struck several times during a single storm.
  • Rubber insulates against a lightning strike. It is claimed that car tyres or rubber shoes can protect a vehicle or person against a lightning strike. However, the negligible size and thickness of these items do not provide enough protection for lightning to seek out an alternative path of least resistance and, as such, lightning may still strike.

One thing is for sure, however, and that is there is a whole host of lightning protection systems available to invest in to ensure that you remain protected against the threat of lightning. Our steeplejacks can put effective systems into place to minimise the impact of a lightning strike on your property.

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