Lightning strikes at my farm

You may have heard the statement that lightning will never hit the same place twice – well that just isn’t true.  Lightning can strike the same object again and again.   The Empire State Building, for example, gets hit about 100 times per year and was actually built as a lightning rod for the surrounding area.  My Bedford farm seems particularly susceptible to this awesome force of nature.  You may recall reading a past blog about a beautiful old sycamore tree that finally perished after being struck. Well, it’s happened again.  In a recent storm, 2 more trees were hit.  One is a maple out in the woods and the other is a stately white pine, standing in a grove near the chicken coops.  I’m waiting to hear the assessment from my arborist, Ralph Robbins of SavATree. 

I’ve always loved this grove of white pines.  Because they’re so tall, they add a nice dimension to the landscape.

This is a classic lightning strike.  The powerful electrical current caused intense heating, resulting in the bark exploding off the tree.  The moist tissues beneath the bark acted as conductors for the electricity.

You can see how the bark and softer tissue have been stripped straight up the side of the trunk.

More damage at the base.

The exploding tree ‘splinters’ spread quite a distance. 

It’s not too difficult to understand why you should never stand near a tree in a lightning storm.

Paddock mowing with my John Deere
My friend Susan's kitchen makeover
The seeds of spring lead to the weeds of summer
Harvesting garlic in my garden recently
Computer problems? Help desk to the rescue! 

Comments

[Cathy Santarsiero]

Yikes! Your poor tree. We've got one that didn't fare well during the last storm too. It is being held up by another tree right now. The storm was wicked, wasn't it? We were driving home and I was waiting for "Miss Gulch" to fly by on her bike with Toto in her basket! Have a happy week. Warmly, Cathy ^..^

[Jeffrey]

Oh Martha im so sorry to hear the bad news about the tree, im so glad you are ok and nothing damaged any of the buildings...

[Lori Stewart]

I live in the lightening capital of the world & I (as well as many others) have a very healthy respect for lightening. I am always in awe of the damage it can inflict. It's a shame that it hit both of your trees. I love the look of a line of trees. Sort of like a little hammock.

[Barbara]

This is a real safety tip! Very graphic. Your pictures are so clear and informative. The damage and danger from lightening is very real. Never take shelter under a tree. I hope your trees will survive! My dog, Trixie, is so frightened during the storms. How do yours do?

[Jan Erickson]

Hi Martha, How tall is that pine tree? It looks like the lightning bolt actually split the tree all the way to the ground. What fantastic photos of the that tree. Do you have photos of the old maple tree? I'll bet it doesn't look much better. Do you think Ralph Robbins will be able to save these trees? I sure hope so. My dad used to say that lightning strikes were good for the lawn because they added nitrogen. Have you ever heard of that? Thanks so much for this very interesting blog. Hope you had a good weekend. Jan

[Patia]

Wow! Interesting! Glad no one was hurt and no fires started.

[Zoë]

WOW! I had no idea lightening could do that!

[charmayne]

i 2 had a large pine hit by lightning,mine also had the line down the entire tree, it slowly but surely died, the lightning traveled 2 my invisible fence (4 dogs) and blew apart the transformer in my basement, not nice 2 fool with mother nature, with ur love of plants maybe creating a rare conifer garden would continue 2 add new dimension 2 ur stunning grounds.

[Paula]

Awesome photos!

I can't wait for your new season to start. I hope I can get tickets to the studio audience again!

[Trish]

I hope your trees can be saved but they look quite damaged. I lost two palms in a 'mild' hurricane because I allowed a trimmer to climb them several times with spikes on. I believe that is what eventually weakened them but lightning is worse.

Speaking of 'skewered', well sort of, I wish I got Fine Living in my area. I would love to watch Alexis and Jennifer 'skewer' you on their new show, "Whatever, Martha!" I read it was your creation so it has to be a good thing, and funny if Alexis and Jennifer are in it. Here's the link readers, check it out:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/11/business/media/11martha.html?ref=business

Trish

[Tina Yox...]

Hello Martha and Laura,

Yes, much lightening around the world. I heard on the news (or somewhere) that we can expect more severe lightening due to global warming. I, too, have experienced this 'more severe lightening' strikes, and so have many of my friends. For example: A friend from VA recently made a trip south and gave me her old laptop. I plugged it in and away I went until lightening - like I have never heard before - came through the phone line and killed (as in dead) my lap top - the thing wasn't even on...plugged in though, and lightening protector equipment didn't help at all. Interestingly, my friend in next count also had his computer wipped out AND when my friend from VA returned home, all of her electronics (incl, comp.) were dead...as a doornail. So, here's the thing...when we aren't using comps. we should UNPLUG them. So, whoever invents a true-blue lightening protector for comps, will be 'in the money', so-to-speak. As it is, computer companies are cashing in on this latest cry from our MOther"...lightening striking again and again and again and again!" The white pine is my favorite pine, however, your white pine looks very different from the white pines in FL. Sorry for your loss. Love, Tina

[Ed]

Sorry to hear about your tree, but the comment from one of your viewers about the invisible dog fence reminded me about what happened to us in Litchfield last year. Lightning hit our grounds and traveled to the invisible fence whereupon it traveled into the house, blew the dog fence transformer into a thousand pieces and then traveled through the electrical current into the house blowing the motor on our hot water heater and adversely affecting several other applicaces. Now, when we learn of a severe thunderstorm alert and if we are at home, we immediately uplug the transformer. The exact same thing happened on our neighor's property several years ago. You could do your audience a great favor by warning them about the potential danger of these invisible fences, since the installation companies do not.

[Margie]

I am sorry for your trees but happy it was not a horse or other being out in the fields. It would be fun to see you get those wonderful old lightning rods and balls for your buildings.

[Sherry]

So sad about your trees. The damage is amazing of what a lightening strike can do. Your pictures are really good. We have been getting our share of storms here in the Hudson Valley, as another one rolled in today where I am. I hope your beautiful tree can be saved as they stand so majestic. Is there such thing as a lightening rod or something similar specifically for trees?
Interesting note about the Empire State Bldg - I never knew that. Good Luck.

[Rebekah, The City Farmgirl]

Oh gosh! I hate to see that.
We recently lost the tree known as our "Fairy Tree" to lightning at our Vacation Farm. It was so sad to drive up and see that beautiful tree on the ground.

[Jerry Diego]

Looks like that tree had it coming... being all tall and encumbering like. Lightning was only trying to do it's job. Thankfully nothing that could yelp was injured.

[Maureen]

Thanks for a very informative blog today. Pictures are amazing...

[Shirley]

Hi Martha,
I'm sorry to hear that you have lost more trees to lightning. Yes, it certainly can strike more than once in the same place. Lightning struck my daughter's house twice within two weeks this summer. Everything electrical was destroyed, and she also had damage to her roof and a tree. The same strikes destroyed some electrical appliances in her next door neighbor's house.

[Jennifer Fancher]

Martha- Am glad you are ok! I hope you enjoy reading what I sent you.
Jen

[Marie]

Poor little thing...Please give her/him a huge squeeze from this unabashed treehugger. And Martha more than anything you've accomplished or achieved I love your love and devotion to nature and animals. You have an incredible Mother Earth energy. Yeah, you're pretty groovy!

[A Cowboy's Wife]

I am definitely not a fan of lightning. We had a friend who was killed a horseback in Arizona because of it.

It's beautiful to watch but that's it. Hope your tree survives;)

[Kathleen McCue]

Once again great pictures.

I was standing in the middle of the night once, in our farm house kitchen, consoling our Rotweiler who was a chicken during thunder storms!

We had our kitchen phone attached to a beam to the side of the island, in that kitchen and suddenly lightening hit it! Right where I was standing. What a shock-truly.

What really happened, we found out the next day from the phone trucks, was that our phone pole within yards of the kitchen outside had actually been hit first, then travelled across ground into our kitchen.

Both the Rottie and I needed therapy after that one! LOL

Kate :)

[theresa]

I wonder if there isn't a type of collar to put around trees which could act as a guide for the lightening if it strikes. Just to make the lightening go down to ground but not via the tree. Maybe you should get lightening rods. the lightening would strike there instead of the trees.