Video: Thunder Strikes Police Car, Creating Large Cloud of Smoke

• A lightning strike in Newcastle, Oklahoma, damaged a parked police car as severe storms swept through the area, with the dramatic moment captured on video
• The Newcastle Police Department shared footage of the strike, emphasizing the unpredictable and dangerous nature of lightning during extreme weather
• Experts highlight that while cars provide some safety due to the Faraday cage effect, lightning remains a significant hazard, causing fatalities across the United States each year

Cameras captured the dramatic moment a lightning strike hit a parked police car in Newcastle, Oklahoma, on May 19, creating a large cloud of smoke.

The Newcastle Police Department later shared footage of the incident on social media, sourced from Newcastle Emergency Management.

The strike occurred as a series of powerful storms swept through the region, producing vivid cloud-to-ground lightning, strong winds, and even tornadoes.

The police vehicle sustained damage, but no injuries were reported.

"Just minutes ago, lightning struck a Newcastle police car during the storms," Newcastle Emergency Management stated in a Facebook post. "No one was hurt, but that could have been anyone."

See the video of the thunder below:

Severe weather across the central U.S.

The storm system, which raced across the central United States, brought intense lightning activity.

Oklahoma was among the states affected, experiencing a surge of thunderstorms that demonstrated the unpredictable nature of severe weather.

"(The video) is a scary reminder of the dangers of lightning," FOX Weather Meteorologist Marissa Torres commented. "Who knows where it’s going to strike?"

Lightning safety and faraday cage effect

Despite the alarming footage, experts assured that vehicles provide a degree of protection during lightning strikes due to the Faraday cage effect.

"The physical phenomenon, it’s called the Faraday cage," explained FOX Weather Meteorologist Stephen Morgan, highlighting how a car’s metal frame redirects electrical energy, keeping occupants safe.

Lightning fatalities in the United States

Lightning remains a serious hazard. According to the National Weather Service, approximately 20 lightning-related fatalities occur annually in the U.S.

Last month, a North Carolina corrections officer became the first known lightning fatality of the year.

To raise awareness of lightning dangers, the agency developed the safety slogans: "When thunder roars, go indoors" and "See a flash, dash inside."

Thunder strikes over 12 cows dead in 2021

Legit.ng earlier reported in 2021 that a report by The Nation indicates that thunder has killed over twelve cows in Delta state. The incident was said to have occurred in Urhodo-Ovu, Ethiope East local government area of the state and has thrown the community into shock.

According to the report, herdsmen were seated close to the cows while others were taken to the bush for grazing when the incident took place. A source who pleaded anonymity explained that the cows were struck after a brief heavy downpour of rain, Daily Post reports. Speaking further, the source said a few minutes later the cows dropped dead with their stomach swollen.

Speaking further, the source said a few minutes later the cows dropped dead with their stomach swollen.

Source: Legit.ng