Amateur Radio Station W1UJR

Lightning Strike - July 11, 2006

On Tuesday July 11,2006 the lightning struck a large, approximately 95 foot tall, pine tree located near my barn.
I arrived home and noted a number of wood chips, tree limbs and bark in both my driveway and yard. The rear lawn was noted to be torn up near a strand of pine trees. I was surprised to discover that lightning had struck during the day, splitting the tallest of the pines from the top to the base. The lightning then followed the tap root into my yard, tearing up the ground.

You'll note that the lightning bolt followed the tree perfectly from the top down to the base and out into the yard. The tree split open in the rear as the charge traveled through the center of the tree, boiling and then exploding out the water and sap in the heartwood. The numerous wood chips, tree parts and bark, some thrown as much as 40 feet away from the explosion, were the result. Unfortunately the damage was so extensive that the tree must come down, it age was variously estimated at 100-125 years by various forestry professionals.

All in all I was really quite fortunate as neither the house nor the barn were damaged by the strike, or flying debris. In the strike I did lose my cable internet modem, internet wireless network, cordless phone system, at least two GFI breakers, a Heathkit HO-10 oscilloscope and a very expensive Icom ham radio amplifier. Needless to say the vacuum tube gear was undamaged!

Click on any photo to enlarge.