Buzz
Few weather events leave a greater impression than lightning. While lightning strikes can be fatal and wreak havoc, there are times when they act in ways that catch us off guard and break the rules of nature. Here are 10 instances of lightning showing off its quirky side.
10. A Ride on an Airliner (1984)
Passengers and crew aboard a Soviet aircraft flying at around 1,900 meters (3,600 ft) were shocked when a strange ball of lightning burned a hole in the fuselage near the cockpit. The fiery orb vanished with a loud roar, only to reappear and drift through the passenger area before making its way to the tail. There, it split into two crescent-shaped pieces, reunited, and exited through a second hole. The pilot quickly made an emergency landing after turning the plane around.
9. Restoring Vision to the Blind (1980)
Truck driver Edwin Robinson had lost his sight in a terrible car accident in 1971. However, in an astonishing turn of events, his sight was restored nine years later after being struck by lightning while seeking shelter under a tree during a thunderstorm near his home. The strike knocked him unconscious. After regaining awareness 20 minutes later, he managed to make his way into the house where his wife found him, weak and trembling. That night, his vision started to improve, ultimately restoring his ability to read. The doctors were unable to provide an explanation for this phenomenon.
8. Healing Cancer (1932)
This tale may be apocryphal, but it’s worth noting that electrotherapy as a cure for various ailments has been promoted since the 18th century. Farmer Thomas Young, diagnosed with terminal cancer and nearing the end of his life, rested in a hammock outdoors when a storm approached. Lightning struck nearby trees, and the hammock, which contained metal wires, became a conduit for the electrical surge. The force of the lightning blew off the soles of his shoes. While left disfigured, the lightning strike miraculously cured his cancer.
7. Riding the Rails (1874)
During a fierce thunderstorm in Baltimore, onlookers in the suburbs saw a whirlwind descend from the sky, enveloping the area in such a dense darkness that objects just six meters (20 ft) away were invisible. The air was thick with the scent of something burning. Numerous lightning strikes hit the nearby railroad tracks, creating balls of lightning that emitted an eerie blue glow. These glowing orbs zipped along the tracks one after the other—at one point, five of these strange fireballs simultaneously 'rode the rails.'
6. Creating Music (1954)
The strange, eerie sounds known as whistlers were first detected in the 1950s by a listening station aboard the US Navy icebreaker Atka. These sounds, with a musical quality, feature a high-to-low pitched tone that resembles a partial wolf whistle. They occur when lightning discharges release electromagnetic waves into the atmosphere. These waves travel along Earth’s magnetic field lines, circle the planet in mere seconds, and return to the source (explaining the descending pitch). A special receiver and a long antenna can capture these sounds.
5. Terrifying Fans of Stephen King (1986)
In Midland Park, New Jersey, 15-year-old Jennifer Mann was reading Stephen King’s iconic novel, *The Shining*, in her room during a heavy rainstorm when suddenly, a powerful lightning strike shook the entire house. The bolt exploded through her bedroom wall and set her bed ablaze. Despite the chaos, Jennifer was unharmed, apart from some tingling sensations, ringing in her ears, and a newfound reluctance to read horror novels. She rushed downstairs as the flames consumed her box spring before her father was able to put out the fire.
4. Creating Temporary Tattoos (2012)
A Lichtenberg figure, also known as a 'lightning flower' or 'lightning tree', is a reddish, feathery, or fern-like fractal pattern sometimes left on the neck or torso of those struck by lightning. These marks are temporary, resulting from capillary damage, and typically appear within one to two hours of the strike. The color, complexity, and duration of each Lichtenberg figure differ from person to person. Winston Kemp was struck by lightning after stepping outside during a storm, leaving him with a 'temporary tattoo' on his arm.
3. Sparking a Religious Miracle (1904)
In Morristown, New Jersey, painter Abbot Parker was struck by lightning while walking along the sidewalk. He was rushed to All Souls’ Hospital, where doctors and nuns observed that the burns on his back were beginning to form a cross. Shortly after, an image of Jesus Christ crucified appeared alongside the cross. Witnesses described the image as clear and intricate, including details like the crown of thorns and nails in Christ's hands and feet, and declared it a miracle. Upon regaining consciousness, Parker confirmed he had never been tattooed, and the doctor who examined him stated that the image was not a tattoo.
2. Visiting Neighbors in a Fiery Way (1920)
On Ninth Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a ball of lightning shot into the Lyons' parlor, startling 19-year-old Richard Lyons. The fireball zipped around the room before vanishing with a concussive blast that knocked Richard from his chair. The ball of lightning then entered the neighboring house, belonging to John Blynn, where it passed through the kitchen, cleaned the soot from the stovepipe, and ruined the Blynn family's dinner. Finally, it drifted into the next house—the Garrity's—leaving scorch marks and destroying their stove.
1. Creating a Color 'Photograph' (1908)
In an unnamed town in New York State, a strange event was said to have occurred when a lightning bolt struck the butler’s pantry near the kitchen, which housed several Royal Dresden plates on a shelf. While the plates only showed slight discoloration along their edges, they were largely undamaged. Astonishingly, the lightning left an imprint of the colors, decorations, and patterns of the plates onto the wall behind them.
