Don't Drive Your Boxster In a Lightning Storm
 

I never knew convertibles were not safe in a lightning storm:

"Convertible vehicles offer no safety from lightning, even if the top is up."

From:

http://www.srh.weather.gov/srh/jetstream/lightning/lightning_safety.htm

http://electricitymagnetism.suite101.com/article.cfm/faraday_cages_and_lightning_safety

I'll print those out and keep them in my glovebox, so I can swear to the office I was traveling in excess of 150 MPH to get away from that there lightning!! :D

This afternoon Omaha was hit with its 3rd major storm in less than 3 wks. This storm had straight line winds of 80mph. My neighbor's 30+ foot cottonwood tree was uprooted like someone just tipped it over. I was at a golf course when the weather deteriorated. Luckily the center of the storm passed to my southwest. As I was putting my clubs in the trunk, the wind to the sw sounded like a freight train. You always hear tornado victims talk about that sound, but I've never heard it before. It was scary. I moved Punkin into the cart barn when things got rough and road out the storm from there. It moved through quickly but left lots of tree damage. Unfortunately it was another killer storm - 2 people died when a tree fell on their car. That brings the 3 wk total to 7 with the 5 Boy Scouts. It's been a wicked June.

Sorry for the hijack. Guess it makes sense that a conv wouldn't provide protection in a thunderstorm. Just remember to respect Mother Nature. She plays for keeps.

I don't see that working but it is a great idea.

:D

I spent a summer in rural Wisconsin back in the 80s. Those tornados are a pisser and it seemed like we had about one a week.

Took out buildings by the handful as I recall.

[QUOTE=
Sorry for the hijack. Guess it makes sense that a conv wouldn't provide protection in a thunderstorm. Just remember to respect Mother Nature. She plays for keeps.[/QUOTE]

You ain't kidding about that!

I was taught in hi-scule that lighting did not hit cars since cars are not grounded because of the rubber tires. It would seem what I learned in hi-scule was wrong which is not really surprising since I went to scule in Canada.

Wow...I actually learned something educational reading this forum!

I always thought that too, but I guess I was wrong.

I just found a great Top Gear segment where they zapped a VW Golf with lightning while Hammond was in it. Good stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve6XGKZxYxA

I ran down to Palatka (100 miles) and took my mom (85) (years, not miles) over to St. Augustine for dinner (30 miles) and it was storming half the total trip. Now, considering north central Florida is the lightening capital of the world, I should have been quite concerned, accounting for what I've learned on this thread (scule). Was I? (?)
Nahhhhhhhhhhh! (no friggin way) :cheers:
Mom's first ride in the box. She loved the seats and the "ride." :D

First off, Florida is NOT the lightning capitol... Arizona is... by far !!

Second, you are only less safe in a convertible if the lightning strikes you directly... and you are a poor conductor compared to all the metal in the car including the steel top frame which offers a much more conductive path to ground. And lightning, like all other forms of electricity, will literally take the path of least resistance.

So long as you're not touching any metal directly, your odds of being struck by lightning is only slightly shorter than if you were in an enclosed sedan.

Add to this that the car is lower than many other possible conductors, such as powerlines, sign posts, buildings, trees and such, this lowers the odds even further.

Now... if you were driving in an open, flat, area, and lightning strikes were numerous, it may be prudent to pull over, exit the car and lie on the ground. But frankly, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

National Geographic says we are ....
 

While its not a title that I want to fight for, several sources refer to Florida as the "lightning capital", including National Geographic: (Texas is #2)

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0522_030522_lightning.html

and there are others:

http://www.lightningcapitaloftheworld.com/

http://www.thecomputerwizard.biz/lightning.htm

http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=101254&view=previous

http://www.accuweather.com/mt-news-blogs.asp?blog=sobel&partner=accuweather&pgUrl=/mtweb/content/sobel/archives/2008/06/floridalightning_capital_of_the_us.asp

http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/22102354.html

http://www.observernews.net/artman/publish/article_001601.shtml

The worst lightening storm I ever sat through was in the Charlotte airport one summer. Got totally black and then we just watched the lightning strikes for about a half an hour.

Quite a show, glad I was where it appeared to be safe! :dance:

I was supposed to put the top up?? :eek:

If you just go really, REALLY fast, the water never gets in the car...... :D

I thought that's why we spend so much money on the high performance wet traction tires.......at least the wet traction better be your number one priority in this state! :cheers:

Got any data to back this up? Since you were wrong on the lighting strike capital, I'm worried this reasoning might make you a future candidate for a Darwin award :D

I couldn't find any examples of someone in a convertible suffering a lightning strike, but this guy caught in rush hour traffic on a motorcycle was struck and killed recently:

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/9407981/detail.html

I guess I should garage the car from May to October each year as we get lightning every day in Orlando. That sucks. But I guess it is safer than walking in the thunderstorm with an umbrella.

what you forgot is that lightning hit the highest point they found.. witch won't probably be your boxster ;)

I love thunderstorms, and given the opportunity, I will be out on my screen porch to enjoy them. I never thought much about driving in them either. Hmmm. There might be a new perspective ifor me n these comments.

Come on down to Jacksonville, we've had good ones every afternoon for the last week. Having one right now!! :dance:

I don't know about lightning, but I got caught in some heavy rain on the interstate last Friday and it was pretty scary.

"Not all types of buildings or vehicles are safe during thunderstorms. Buildings which are NOT SAFE (even if they are "grounded") have exposed openings. These include beach shacks, metal sheds, picnic shelters/pavilions, carports, and baseball dugouts. Porches are dangerous as well."

See, it says right here that Porches are dangerous :D :D :D

Don't you own a "Porch" ? :D :D :D

LOL,
Ed