A video taken by storm chaser Carl Hobi on June 25 depicts the terrifying moment a bolt of lightning struck a car carrying a married couple and their three children near Waverly, Kansas.
The five passengers were unharmed but extremely shaken up. They included a three-year-old, a 1.5-year-old, and an eight-month-old, Hobi told Newsweek via Instagram.
"They were in shock and first thing they did was make sure the kids were ok and they were relieved that everyone was just fine," Hobi said of the parents.
The car, however, wasn't so fortunate.
"The car was dead and stuck in gear and we could not get it in to [sic] neutral to push off the road. It will most likely be considered Totaled," Hobi said.
The 13-second video packs a lot of action in a short time. In the beginning, heavy rain pounds the highway, making driving conditions poor. A radio or police scanner can be heard reeling off a list of place names. Suddenly, a blinding white flash fills the screen, temporarily obscuring the car ahead, a black SUV with items strapped to its roof and rear. Once it clears, a jagged slice of fiery light can be seen arcing clear through the SUV and into the adjacent pavement, accompanied by a loud pop. The SUV appeared to take several direct hits.
"If you slow the video down, it looks like about 5 strikes, but I don't know enough about lightning to explain exactly what was happening," Hobi said.
While death by lightning strike is comparatively rare, it is not unheard of. Worldwide, lightning strikes kill approximately 24,000 people and injure 240,000 people annually.
In the United States, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas see the most lightning deaths and injuries, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In many cases, injuries take the form of burns and blunt trauma, though the majority of burns are usually superficial rather than full-thickness. Other medical events associated with being hit by a bolt of lightning include hearing loss, temporary paralysis, cataract development, intracranial hemorrhage, and simultaneous cardiac and respiratory arrest, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
People can minimize their chances of being struck by lightning by avoiding tall structures such as trees and buildings as well open spaces such as playgrounds and swimming pools, according to the CDC. If possible, shelter indoors and separate from companions.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
