Lightning is one of those things that no matter how close we come to
explaining exactly what it's supposed to do continues to surprise us.
Such is the case of a young girl in Colorado who was struck by lightning
as she watched television in Colorado. The girl was unharmed by the
incident, but experts are suggesting the event could have been a lot
worse.
The event in Commerce City, Colorado has many residents
praising it as a miracle as nine year old Lexie walks away from the
event without any injuries to speak of. Lightning has been known to
kill up to 20% of those struck by it and often leaves long-term injuries
for the survivors that cannot be diagnosed fully until years later.
The burns caused by millions of volts going through a person's body can
cause severe burns to the internal organs of those who stand in its path
and even cause mental disorders. Still, the Colorado resident was
taken to a hospital and unharmed, though she was in shock from her
experience and doctors are confident she showed no signs that the
lightning could have effected her adversely.
Furthermore, the
room she was in during the event showed no signs of damage either. It
was only after the house was studied using a thermal imaging camera that
it was apparent that it had indeed been struck by a powerful bolt of
lightning. But how did the lightning jump through the walls and enter
the house in the first place? One expert suggested that the bolt must
have somehow struck the internal wiring of the house and then traveled
through a wall outlet or appliance to strike the girl who was sitting in
close proximity to it. The phenomenon is called "flashover" and it
rarely occurs in such a way that humans directly interact with the
lightning. In fact, the chances of this specific event are well in the
range of billions to one. Usually lightning strikes directly hit a
person who is outside during a lightning storm. Last year these strikes
claimed 236 peoples' lives.
Lexie considers herself lucky for
only receiving superficial burns after she was struck and rendered
speechless for a number of minutes. After the loud report of the
lightning struck the house she was rushed to the emergency room as a
precaution by her parents. And it's good that she's optimistic about
the event as well. A more pessimistic person would have considered that
it was incredibly unlikely (and therefore unlucky) for the lightning
bolt to actually enter the home in the first place, although it is not
unprecedented. There is even an urban legend of an unnamed prisoner
(usually said to have been imprisoned for murder) who on the day of his
acquittal was struck by lightning. But should we start worrying even in
the safety of our own homes during lightning storms that there is no
safe place? The event is rare enough that it is unlikely to happen.
