10 Bizarre Reactions To Lightning

Whether or not it's raining, lightning can make an appearance. This force of nature is powerful enough to damage property, scorch the earth and even kill people.

Lightning is a powerful force of nature that can damage property, scorch the earth and kill or severely injure humans.

Here are 10 bizarre reactions to lightning.

Number 10.

When sand or rock is struck by lightning it can form fulgurites, which are complex hollow structures measuring one or two inches in diameter. Finding them is rare, and those made into jewelry can fetch a few hundred dollars.

Number 9.

When a human is struck by lightning it can leave a scarring known as a Lichtenberg figure. The scars eventually fade, but while present reveal an intricate fractal design on their skin.

Number 8.

A security camera at Saratoga Spa State Park in New York captured a tree being hit by lightning and exploding. In a lightning strike, the sap and water in the tree become overheated causing it to burst.

Number 7.

When a flagstick on a Utah golf course was struck by lightning, it caused the ground to develop a Lichtenberg figure that spread out on the green.

Number 6.

During a football game halftime show at University High School in Orlando, Florida in 2013, a tree was struck by lightning as the marching band performed. Although the weather was previously beautiful, the game had to be cancelled after that.

Number 5.

A study published in 2013 revealed a correlation between lightning and migraines. Participants who suffered from migraines documented when their headaches occurred, and it was discovered there was an increase in frequency when lightning struck nearby.

Number 4.

Roy C. Sullivan holds the Guinness World Record for being struck the most by lightning, a whopping seven times, and surviving them all. He worked as a park ranger at Shenandoah National Park, which averages 35 to 45 thunderstorm days a year.

Number 3.

Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela has the designation of experiencing the most frequent lightning in the world. For two to three hundred days a year lightning storms lasting up to ten hours at a time leave a mesmerizing display.

Number 2.

Edwin Robinson was blinded in an accident. In 1980, nine years after losing his sight, his vision was restored after being struck by lightning near his house.

Number 1.

During a soccer match in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1998, all eleven players on one of the teams were killed after lightning struck the field. Somehow, everyone on the other team remained unharmed.