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When Ford named the first electric F-150 truck the Lightning, we were 100 percent sure that it was not a reference to the actual lightning strike and the devastation it caused. But here it is – Ford trucks, specifically the Super Duty trucks that were struck by lightning and burned to a crisp.
According to the original uploader of the image, Kristi Hughes Groover, the unnamed owner of the Ford Super Duty truck is a cabinet installer, allegedly working on a project near the area. The entire center of the truck or the cab area was completely destroyed and beyond recognition, although the front fascia appears unharmed.
The horrific incident occurred on Dataw Island in South Carolina during a severe storm on Tuesday afternoon. The truck was parked near a tree and according to eyewitnesses, as shared by Explore Beaufort, SC Facebook page, lightning hit a tree, descended, and jumped onto a truck. The strike sparked a fire, which caused the damage seen in the photo to be extinguished. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.
According to National Weather Service (NWS), you are usually safe in a vehicle during a cloud-to-vehicle lightning strike because “the outer metal shell of a heavy metal vehicle provides protection for those in the vehicle with the windows closed”. As seen in this incident, there is little wiggle room with that statement.
As NWS says:
A typical cloud-to-ground lightning strike, actually cloud-to-vehicle, will strike the vehicle’s antenna or along the roofline. The lightning will then pass through the outer metal shell of the vehicle, then through the tires to the ground.
To be fair, we’re not sure if the truck windows closed during a lightning strike. Moreover, what hit the vehicle was a second hand strike that came from a tree and caused a fire in certain parts which resulted in quite severe damage.
As a general rule, anyone outside of a shelter is at risk during a thunderstorm, so if your situation allows, go inside during this situation – preferably indoors rather than in a car.
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