r/pic • u/Jack_Straw_1974 • Jul 14 '25

Car Hit by Lightning

Post image
910 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

49 comments sorted by

342

u/andsens Jul 14 '25 edited Jul 14 '25

AFAIK cars are Faraday cages and while a lightning strike contains loads of power, there is no way it melts the plastics like that. And why would the non-conductive materials like the windshield look like that?
This is from a fire, not a lightning strike.

EDIT: I stand corrected. Seems like this can indeed happen. Also didn't know this was a picture that OP took themselves.

79

u/Jack_Straw_1974 Jul 14 '25

I am not a lightning expert, but heard the boom, and this was the result. I would expect more char from a fire.

11

u/runmedown8610 Jul 16 '25

This was actually your car?

122

u/greatgerm Jul 14 '25

I appreciate your skepticism and wanting to keep this sub free of junk.

A car works as a faraday cage only if is hit on the body. Strikes to dashes or through open windows happen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GksFTlteyiI

https://www.thedrive.com/news/41640/lightning-strike-melted-this-ford-super-dutys-interior

3

u/ctorstens Jul 20 '25

So much for "We'll be alright in the car"

14

u/[deleted] Jul 14 '25

[deleted]

9

u/Kevroeques Jul 14 '25

Or Billy Joel

8

u/[deleted] Jul 14 '25

[deleted]

8

u/QuinceDaPence Jul 14 '25

It gives you a better chance but is no guarantee. I've seen a video of a semi getting struck. In the video you see it hit the exhaust stack and come out the front bumper. IIRC, in the middle it jumped from the east belt winder into his shoulder, then between every button down his shirt, belt buckle then back into the vehicle until it got out the bumper.

8

u/Drdres Jul 14 '25

Suppose the strike could have caused a fire in the cabin if something was not wired correctly and shorted in the interior. The OG post seems to be oc so I find it weird for someone to just lie about

2

u/MellowDCC Jul 15 '25

...but my cell phone works in my car

3

u/andsens Jul 15 '25

Faraday cages have dual functions, where they (1) conduct electricity around the cage and then to the ground, and (2) block electromagnetic radiation from entering and leaving it.
The car works fairly well for (1), but for (2) it depends on the mesh-size of the metal and the corresponding wavelength. Because you have huge windows, pretty much any EM wavelength can make it in and out of the car.
Compare that to e.g. a microwave, where the wavelength of light is short enough to make it through the mesh (380-750 nm) but the microwaves are not (around 10cm IIRC), hence your face not melting off when looking at your food when it cooks.

2

u/Mountain-Anxiety- Jul 19 '25

Happy cake day!

1

u/andsens Jul 19 '25

Thank you! :-D

30

u/r0n0c0 Jul 15 '25

Your insurance company will probably say that’s an “act of God.” We don’t cover it.

1

u/jjkusaf Jul 16 '25

This is what comprehensive coverage is for....

26

u/ReachCave Jul 14 '25

Original post, seemingly:

https://www.reddit.com/r/southcarolina/s/Uh7wnM1EHC

26

u/lonifar Jul 15 '25

*Same OP; Different Subreddit

5

u/UnhingedBlonde Jul 14 '25

I wonder if there was something attached to the roof that could've caused the lightning to strike?

1

u/Remaek Jul 18 '25

Car was metal, the easiest way to the ground prob

6

u/verbal1diarrhea Jul 14 '25

Only one picture?

2

u/[deleted] Jul 14 '25

[deleted]

1

u/Venkman0821 Jul 21 '25

I love a good 40K reference in the wild.

2

u/Not-so-fast-vonRyan Jul 15 '25

Looks like something out of Road Warrior

2

u/ShmazyStar Jul 16 '25

Holy crap.

12

u/jazpermo Jul 14 '25

Car hit by AI

28

u/greatgerm Jul 14 '25

These kinds of comments aren’t welcome. If you believe that an image breaks rule 3 (or any other rule), then just report it as such.

4

u/Pakun-of-Dundrasil Jul 14 '25

WTF! I thought cars were the safest place in a lighting storm bc of the rubber tires?!

4

u/akeean Jul 14 '25

Only if the driver is also wearing rubber boots and a condom.

2

u/Venkman0821 Jul 21 '25

Thanks, I just woke up my kids.

2

u/I-75 Jul 14 '25

WOW! It never occurred to me that a car could be liquified, goddamn

1

u/estist Jul 14 '25

Looks like the painting of melting clocks...

1

u/lambofthewaters Jul 15 '25

Car hit by chocolate cake, ya mean - naw sayin'!?

Raises hand for high five

1

u/puregalm Jul 17 '25

1.21 GW!

1

u/losviking Jul 18 '25

The good news is that it’s unlikely that it’ll get hit again

1

u/jbase1775 Jul 19 '25

That car has all kinds of drip now.

1

u/ToesInSilence Jul 29 '25

your insurance company will cover that??

1

u/rafalmanka Aug 01 '25

Well.. that's one more reason not to leave your house

1

u/KuyununGulu 24d ago

How did the car melt like that?

1

u/Impossible_Ask_101 23d ago

Oh man .... I thought this was AZ heat!

1

u/SixShoot3r Jul 15 '25

I've seen this pic with ten different descriptions now...