Two children hospitalized in Fort Worth after lightning strikes tree

[Randy Jennings]

(WFAA 4/27/2023 talking about 4/26/2023) FORT WORTH, Texas — "Two children who were playing outside Wednesday evening have been hospitalized after lightning struck a nearby tree, officials in Fort Worth said. The Fort Worth Fire Department responded to Iron Ridge Drive, near West Risinger Road and Interstate 35W, around 6:30 p.m. ...... While there were no storms in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in the early evening hours, severe storms happening in the southern counties of North Texas were producing lightning 40 to 50 miles away from the storm. "

Full Story: Officials: Fort Worth children injured due to lightning strike | wfaa.com

Normally I would move on without posting something like this, but the last statement in the story about "no storms" nearby made we go pull the radar (I took the quick way and looked for a SVR Warning nearby and close to the time on IEM to pull the graphic). I put a purple star at the approx location of this strike (up near the color key). They looked to be under the anvil of 2 different cells (although the cores were 40 to 50 miles away). A good remainder to us chasers that you don't have to be in the rain or even very close to be struck.

 

[Chase K]

When thunder roars, go indoors. Just another one of those sad things that just can’t get through some peoples heads. This accident is a little tricky though just because the video in that link showed multiple lightning strikes on the radar far away from any storms so maybe there was no thunder.

 

[gdlewen]

The instructor in my Atmospheric Electricity class (oh-so-long-ago) gave a good explanation for this: due to refraction of sound in air (which causes sound to curve upwards as it travels), the maximum audible range of thunder is about 60km. This is about equal to the greatest distance CG lightning had (so far) been recorded as striking from a thunderstorm. It was a clear and concise explanation.

One counterexample: in NJ a few years ago, wind and surf noise were sufficient to mask the sound of thunder from a "nearby" thunderstorm and a couple on the beach were struck by lightning from a cell close enough they would otherwise have heard the thunder and been warned. Witnesses still described it as "a bolt from the blue."

I guess "eyes on the sky" trumps "when thunder roars, go indoors"....

 

[JamesCaruso]

When thunder roars, go indoors

I guess "eyes on the sky" trumps "when thunder roars, go indoors"....

I am reminded of an old video from one of my chases, back when I still had to primarily depend on NOAA Weather Radio for information out in the field. On my video, you can hear the robotic NOAA radio voice say, “If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning,” immediately followed by a crash of thunder…

 

[Jeff Wright]

Another tragedy

There is new research on this front

Rainwater significantly reduces damage from lightning strikes to the head: Study

Research at the Technical University of Ilmenau has shown that rainwater on the scalp can reduce damage caused by direct lightning strikes to the head. When the scalp is wet, fewer impacts are recorded compared to dry scalp, and the wetness also reduces the electrical current to which the brain...

medicalxpress.com

 

[Brian R.]

Another tragedy

There is new research on this front

Rainwater significantly reduces damage from lightning strikes to the head: Study

Research at the Technical University of Ilmenau has shown that rainwater on the scalp can reduce damage caused by direct lightning strikes to the head. When the scalp is wet, fewer impacts are recorded compared to dry scalp, and the wetness also reduces the electrical current to which the brain...

medicalxpress.com

That just sounds odd, being wet lessens the severity of the injuries.... you would think it would be just the opposite.