Click-BANG

[Tim Shriver]

No clicking when this happened a couple of weeks ago.

I think it is some sort of static discharge or a release of moisture
when the lightning heats the surface it is in contact with or passes close to.
I have heard this sound in those videos where folks send up balloons with a long wire attached and lightning strikes it. Simple arcing maybe?

Even with proper grounding system some of the lower voltage made it way back into the house and knocked out network components, wall warts, my Peet Bros 2100 and some other small items. No scorch marks anywhere
cept the antenna and ground lines.
The radios attached to the antenna are fine, but the antenna is toast. All the hardware inside was roasted.

Tim

 

[James Hammett]

I've seen battery-powered electronic toys activate from lightning. I regularly have AFCI breakers trip and hear speakers pop from the EMF that lightning produces...it can induce voltage spikes indirectly.

 

[Robert Keller]

I have heard that before. I thought something in my house had got hit.

 

[Boris Konon]

I've had the electrical clicks and pops happen to me a few times. Thinking it
is arcing occurring on objects close by...perhaps ancillary streamers that
never connect to the stepped leader. The clicks and pops I have heard
sounded no louder than a pretty good static electrical zap you get touching
a doorknob. Thing is though that noise is *unmistakable* and you know
immediately to brace yourself after a strike/flash for a huge crash of thunder!

In June 1994, I was headed up the auto road on Pikes Peak and a weak tstm
developed on the mtn as I was heading up. I broke out of the clouds at
13,000 feet and noted a great view of the landscape below. So I go out
of my car (duh!), to get a pix. A bolt then struck about 1000 ft from me
above on the ridge, and the exact same time of the flash, I heard that click-
pop and got a little shock on the side of my head, presumably from a little
arcing from the frame of my glasses. Needless to say, I booked it back into
my car (you sure lose your breath fast at 13,000 ft)! Proceeded to the top,
where it was socked in by the CB and ocnl lightning. Thing that really
amazed me is that ppl were out and walking around. CGs are one thing, but
being IN the CB itself w/ ICs and CCs occurring (much more common)???? No
thanks!!

 

[Stephen Levine]

I've had the electrical clicks and pops happen to me a few times. Thinking it
is arcing occurring on objects close by...perhaps ancillary streamers that
never connect to the stepped leader. The clicks and pops I have heard
sounded no louder than a pretty good static electrical zap you get touching
a doorknob. Thing is though that noise is *unmistakable* and you know
immediately to brace yourself after a strike/flash for a huge crash of thunder!

In June 1994, I was headed up the auto road on Pikes Peak and a weak tstm
developed on the mtn as I was heading up. I broke out of the clouds at
13,000 feet and noted a great view of the landscape below. So I go out
of my car (duh!), to get a pix. A bolt then struck about 1000 ft from me
above on the ridge, and the exact same time of the flash, I heard that click-
pop and got a little shock on the side of my head, presumably from a little
arcing from the frame of my glasses. Needless to say, I booked it back into
my car (you sure lose your breath fast at 13,000 ft)! Proceeded to the top,
where it was socked in by the CB and ocnl lightning. Thing that really
amazed me is that ppl were out and walking around. CGs are one thing, but
being IN the CB itself w/ ICs and CCs occurring (much more common)???? No
thanks!!

Wow, that must have felt pretty eerie being inside a thunderhead.. I would love to see a video of this.

During times that I have heard the 'Click' (there have been several) it too came a split second before the "CRASH!!!" and sounded like someone clicking their fingers.

The sound wave from such nearby bolts has done things such as rattle my windows, bend the screen like a wind blast, and clog up my ears temporarily due to pressure.

The sound force from one bolt actually knocked me to my knees.

 

[Tony Lehman]

As several have said here. I also believe the clicks heard just before thunder on close lightning strikes are the results of induced voltage surges in the power lines that enter your house.

Many years ago, I worked at an antenna farm and experimental station in Northwest Florida. We had frequent electrical storms there. Lightning was always striking close or even on the antennas themselves. Usually you could see the little flash of electrical spark in the wall outlets themselves and hear the snap of the spark. Then the thunder arrives. Happened all the time.

Lightning once struck the antenna while a maintenance man was running a test. The surge of current expolded the signal generator. Exploded the RF coax cables, jumped to the power lines (underground ones) and followed the power cable into our station. The big electrical box on the wall exploded, throwing pieces all over the operating area. The maintenance man was able to get back into the truck and return to the station, but he was injured. Ear drums busted, hair and eye brows burned off, arms bleeding from hundreds of tiny punctures (shrapnel from the exploding equipment). Had to take him to the hospital.

Regards -- Tony

 

[Boris Konon]

The clicks and pops I have heard
sounded no louder than a pretty good static electrical zap you get touching
a doorknob.

Actually, I stand corrected. I just remembered one event I had locally in May 1988 where I had taken cover in a
small garage from a decent storm, and one close strike produced the loudest, cleanest snap I have ever heard, and
one second later there was the tremendous crash of thunder. Figures I had just shut off my video camera about
10 seconds before it!

 

[Dennis Dennison]

Additional on this-My Cel phone was sitting on the same shelf maybe a foot away from the clock. I got a call today on it-and the ring tone was different. The ring tone had reverted back to Stock setup, and the setting was no longer on outdoor--Loud volume level--The phone checks out otherwise as OK. The wall that this stuff is on-consists of about 450 Vinyl record albums in milk crates with a turntable/ a cd player and an amplifier all sitting horizontally on top of a 1/2 board separating the records from the equipment and the clock and phone were on a box on top of the CD player. I am the ONLY one who has control of my phone-----ODD

 

[Marcus Diaz]

Several years ago, my little sister's crib was in the living room and she hadn't used it for a while. And she had this toy in her crib that played music and lights up (she was probably 3 years old at the time). The thing ran off of D-Cell batteries, and it hadn't worked for years, presumably the batteries died. This thing had no wall outlet or anything.

So one night, we had a nasty nighttime storm roll through Hereford, TX. Lots of intense CG, quarter sized hail, lots of wind, etc. Well I was up and watching the storm roll in from inside. Suddenly I saw a really bright flash, less than 1/4 mile away. As soon as I saw it, I heard popping from inside the house. Real loud crackling thunder soon followed, my heart started pounding, and all I could sa was "DAMN!" The strike had knocked the power out in the whole neighborhood.

The strange thing was, this toy in the crib turned on on its own. It was playing the baby music and lighting up. I was freaked out at first, after all its battery powered and wouldn't turn on. It stayed on for maybe an hour, then turned off on its own. My only guess is that it was near some strong electrical wiring and the static maybe arced on the batteries and gave it a quick charge. Anyone have guesses as to why something battery powered would be affected by lightning?

 

[James Hammett]

My only guess is that it was near some strong electrical wiring and the static maybe arced on the batteries and gave it a quick charge. Anyone have guesses as to why something battery powered would be affected by lightning?

Maybe the batteries weren't completely dead but the switch to activate it was broken? I've had a transformer inside a TV that wasn't connected to anything blow up from a nearby strike. Induced charges can be strong enough to cause arcing with no connection to the grid or any electrical connection to the strike itself.