Likelyhood of Mega Tree Struck by Lightning?!

[toodle_pipsky]

Watching the storms roll in this afternoon I was stuck by (pun intended) by how I'd never considered lightning and the my mega tree before. Having moved in the last 12 months, we're now in a much more open area and spectacular bolts of lightning are much more visible so it got me thinking - am I putting a massive lightning rod in my front yard? Is it any more risky than having large trees?

Has anyone had their mega tree struck? Or do you take steps to prevent this happening? Thanks!

 

[Charl Marais]

I live on the highest part of town and have been struck twice

First time I suffered some damage but since it was a static type display it was not and expensive exercise.

Second time I added a earth rod hammered 3 meters into the earth with a welding cable as earth cable. the lightning took out all the lights. It further vaporised the phone line and melted all data and signal cabling that ran in one channel into a solid bar. Finally for sports it took out the alarm, tv, dvd, digital satellite and amplifier.

My conclusion is that there is not much that can be done to protect you against a direct strike. You could probably protects against secondary effects of a proximity strike but that is about all you can do.

I have added earth cables and added a lightning trip that cuts all power on proximity strikes and further I pray every morning and night.

 

[ecbailey]

Gee you've had some bad luck, that would have made an interesting insurance claim! Alarm, DVD, 20 Xmas Lights Controllers


Would have thought that tower behind your place would have caught any lightning that struck near you?

 

[lithgowlights]

Mine was hit last year. Took out a few pixels, killed the grass for a meter around the base, scorched the house where the metal stay wires were attached, and melted about 6 inches of the top of the pole. I was on the deck when it hit, and it was a big bang lol

 

[Superman]

Mine was hit last year. Took out a few pixels, killed the grass for a meter around the base, scorched the house where the metal stay wires were attached, and melted about 6 inches of the top of the pole. I was on the deck when it hit, and it was a big bang lol

Photo's or it didn't happen LL.

 

[Benslights]

to right

 

[lithgowlights]

I think I have a couple of the aftermath, but I was more interested in getting things going again at the time.