Power poles fall like dominoes in Korat

[webfact]

Power poles fall like dominoes in Korat


Image: Tnamcot

KORAT:-- Power poles on a north eastern road came down like dominoes causing traffic chaos on Thursday evening.

Thirty poles toppled over in the latest damage caused by a series of summer storms in the Nakorn Ratchasima area, reports Tnamcot.

A wide area was without power but no one was reported hurt and no vehicles were damaged.

Twenty four poles came down in a two kilometre stretch of the inward lane of the Ratchasima - Pak Thong Chai road near the Land and House estate in Chai Mongkhon sub-district.

Officials opened up a lane on the opposite side so vehicles could pass as EGAT engineers worked to clear the area.

On the outward lane six poles in a 300 metre stretch collapsed on the motorcycle hard shoulder also damaging the roof of an LPG station.

The violent storm that lasted some some thirty minutes was the latest in a series of summer storms that have seen 1,700 houses in 24 districts damaged. Also damaged have been rice storage depots, giant billboards, schools, temples and government property.

Source: Tnamcot

-- 2016-05-06

[Pimay1]

The concrete in these power poles must not be more than 200 PSI and have re-bar (if any) the size of a pencil lead.

[Lampang2]

The concrete in these power poles must not be more than 200 PSI and have re-bar (if any) the size of a pencil lead.

The 5 baht formula.

Savings of 5 baht over rules any other parameter.

[khh7]

Our house was affected by this incident - no power for about 9 hours.

Actually I am quite amazed - after reading/seeing the pic's - that power was established again that fast.

[callaway]

In Surin our house was struck by lightning. Lost the new 55 inch smart tv, the motor for the electric gate, the internet modem melted, cctv recorder screwed and parts of the house no power now. But we were lucky. A friends house was struck and burnt to the ground the poor buggers. It was full on.

[MediaWatcher]

In Surin our house was struck by lightning. Lost the new 55 inch smart tv, the motor for the electric gate, the internet modem melted, cctv recorder screwed and parts of the house no power now. But we were lucky. A friends house was struck and burnt to the ground the poor buggers. It was full on.

So, maybe time to get some over-voltage protection installed.

[Emster23]

"came down like dominoes" and Probably footings about as deep as dominoes on a bar table.

[masuk]

The concrete in these power poles must not be more than 200 PSI and have re-bar (if any) the size of a pencil lead.

Looks like the rebar only went half way up the poles...

[Jonmarleesco]

Seems like a damned good reason to put them underground.

[GOLDBUGGY]

In Surin our house was struck by lightning. Lost the new 55 inch smart tv, the motor for the electric gate, the internet modem melted, cctv recorder screwed and parts of the house no power now. But we were lucky. A friends house was struck and burnt to the ground the poor buggers. It was full on.

So, maybe time to get some over-voltage protection installed.

Yes but where to you install this protection?

I had Lightning come into my house once and it hit the wall socket. Everything on that line that was plugged in or was for lighting was destroyed. The only thing that wasn't was my shower heater as it had its own circuit breaker protector.

Since an over-voltage protector is usually installed on your incoming power line it wouldn't have helped in my circumstances. The only thing that would have helped is to have everything unplugged, but even then I still had to replace my power cable and plug ins.

[Bsd]

In Surin our house was struck by lightning. Lost the new 55 inch smart tv, the motor for the electric gate, the internet modem melted, cctv recorder screwed and parts of the house no power now. But we were lucky. A friends house was struck and burnt to the ground the poor buggers. It was full on.

So, maybe time to get some over-voltage protection installed.

Yes but where to you install this protection?

I had Lightning come into my house once and it hit the wall socket. Everything on that line that was plugged in or was for lighting was destroyed. The only thing that wasn't was my shower heater as it had its own circuit breaker protector.

Since an over-voltage protector is usually installed on your incoming power line it wouldn't have helped in my circumstances. The only thing that would have helped is to have everything unplugged, but even then I still had to replace my power cable and plug ins.

Over-voltage protectors also won't help if the lightning hits the phone line. Along the phone line, into the ADSL router, out the power and network cables.

Happened in my village about 6 months ago, all phone lines down for the day, and everyone lined up at the nearest computer store buying new routers. I heard one of the hotels lost about 50 wifi APs.

This is also the reason that the University that I attended required all inter-building network cables to be fibre.

[ChrisY1]

Concrete poles made with ~12 Mpa concrete....3 or 4- 6mm rebars and they expect them to work under load....they don't.....brilliant Thai engineering on show!.....and no-one cares

[westom]

I had Lightning come into my house once and it hit the wall socket. Everything on that line that was plugged in or was for lighting was destroyed. The only thing that wasn't was my shower heater as it had its own circuit breaker protector.

Protection from direct lightning strikes was routine even 100 years ago. One must learn how it works, why, and what it must connect to. Protection is always about where hundreds of thousands of joules are harmlessly absorbed. Anything inside a building that would claim protection is typically grossly undersized (hundreds or a thousand joules) and does not claim to protect from destructive transients.

Useful answers discuss these numbers.

Lightning entered due to no effective protection. Apparently he believed marketing myths and hearsay that so enrich bogus protector manufacturers. If that protector does not have a low impedance (ie less than 3m) connection to single point earth ground, then it only claims to protect from transients already made irrelevant by superior protection inside appliances. Again, how many joules does it claim to absorb?

Plug-in protectors claim near zero protection - clearly do not claim to protect from typically destructive surges. Sometimes may compromise better protection already inside appliances. Fire is another problem created by near zero protectors.

Lightning is an electrical current that would be incoming to every household appliance. Are all damaged? Of course not. It is called electricity. Damage only exists on appliances that also have an outgoing path to earth. Once invited inside a house, that destructive current hunts for earth ground. Nothing inside can avert that hunt. That hunt and resulting damage is averted by connecting low impedance (ie less than 3m) to earth BEFORE entering.

Cable TV would already have best protection - a hardwire from cable to single point earth ground. No protector required.

Telephone and AC electric cannot connect directly to earth. So a 'whole house' protector does what a hardwire does better - make a low impedance (ie hardwire has no sharp bends) connection to earth. Protection from direct lightning strikes was routine even 100 years ago by doing what is described here. And by not doing what so many plug-in protector manufacturers market.

No protector does protection. An effective 'whole house' protector is a connecting device to what does protection - single point earth ground. Then a destructive current is not inside hunting for earth destructively via any appliance. Then hundreds of thousands of joules dissipate harmlessly outside. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground (wall receptacle safety ground is not earth ground).

Those falling poles could also create a destructive transient similar to lightning. Just another reason why one properly earths a 'whole house' solution.

Edited May 6, 2016 by westom

[BlindMagician]

Bit of a s$&t hole, isn't it.

Edited May 7, 2016 by BlindMagician

[Bangkokazy]

It happens here every year.

Why not buy aggregate prouserer power to you.

It saves you a lot of problems.

[GOLDBUGGY]

In Surin our house was struck by lightning. Lost the new 55 inch smart tv, the motor for the electric gate, the internet modem melted, cctv recorder screwed and parts of the house no power now. But we were lucky. A friends house was struck and burnt to the ground the poor buggers. It was full on.

So, maybe time to get some over-voltage protection installed.

Yes but where to you install this protection?

I had Lightning come into my house once and it hit the wall socket. Everything on that line that was plugged in or was for lighting was destroyed. The only thing that wasn't was my shower heater as it had its own circuit breaker protector.

Since an over-voltage protector is usually installed on your incoming power line it wouldn't have helped in my circumstances. The only thing that would have helped is to have everything unplugged, but even then I still had to replace my power cable and plug ins.

Over-voltage protectors also won't help if the lightning hits the phone line. Along the phone line, into the ADSL router, out the power and network cables.

Happened in my village about 6 months ago, all phone lines down for the day, and everyone lined up at the nearest computer store buying new routers. I heard one of the hotels lost about 50 wifi APs.

This is also the reason that the University that I attended required all inter-building network cables to be fibre.

Yes. I never thought of that as well. I use true wireless and thus don't need a modem for W.I.F.I. Let me tell you what happened to me and when lightning struck my Electrical Wall Socket

I had a light post installed at my Fish Pond to attract bugs at night. One of my Mother-in-law's idea so I won't take credit or blame for that or say anymore about that. As it was new and I hadn't had a chance to make it permanent, the electricity was proved by 2 very long Extension Cord, which ran to a wall socket inside the house. During the time of this Lightning Storm the Extension Cord was unplugged and laying on the floor under a bamboo type chair.

The Lightning first hit the lamp out in the field. I know as it blew that to small pieces. It then traveled all the way down my Extension Cord to the plug on the floor. All of the rubber around the Extension Cord was all melted and smoldering. The Lightning then jumped up from under the chair and first passed through a new towel I had hanging on this chair. It blew a perfectly round hole in it which looked more like a Bullet Hole than a Lightning Strike.

From their the Lightning than hit the first Electric Wall Socket. It blew that to pieces also plus about 3 inches deep of concrete from the pillar it was attached to. It then traveled down to the second Wall Socket and destroyed that to. All that I saw of all this was a blinding white flash of light from the second wall socket. Besides the 2 damaged wall sockets, there was 2 lights attached to the same circuit which didn't work anymore. I also had a Bathroom Shower Heater hooked up t this circuit, but the Surge Protector worked fine and it was okay after I reset it and replaced the wiring.

My Lap Top Computer was plugged into an Extension Cord Distribution Box, which had its own Fuse for protection, (I thought) and this was plugged into the second Wall Socket. My Lap Top Computer was shut down at that time. But this Lightning destroyed my Lap Top Computer Battery, and also a Fan I had plugged in to this same Extension Cord Distribution Box, even though it was shut down also. The Extension Cord Distribution Box was also destroyed so I guess the Fuse worked, but rather a little too late.

I am just glad I had a back up Battery for my Lap Top, and that is all that got destroyed and was on this circuit. My New TV, Refrigerator, and Washing Machine were all on a different circuit but only by luck. I am also glad I didn't get hit as I was sitting close to the second Wall Socket. Scared the Living .... out of my wife as when the White Flash came she could not see any of me anymore, and though I was hit.

During an Electrical Storm where I live they shut of the Power off until the storm is gone. But after my last experience I will also unplug my major appliances. They don't work then anyway so I am not loosing anything except a bit of time. But it has proved to me last time that they don't have to be working if Lightning hits a Outside Wall Socket. So I suggest others do this as well.

I heard long ago about people who used to shut down everything during a Lightning Storm and unplug everything and I used to laugh about that. Now I know why and I am not laughing about that anymore.

. . .

[sanukjim]

When doing any constructions what ever the specs call for the Thais will perform with less (money in their pocket) and this is the results.It was n't the storm to blame ,blame Thai working policy.

[MediaWatcher]

In Surin our house was struck by lightning. Lost the new 55 inch smart tv, the motor for the electric gate, the internet modem melted, cctv recorder screwed and parts of the house no power now. But we were lucky. A friends house was struck and burnt to the ground the poor buggers. It was full on.

So, maybe time to get some over-voltage protection installed.

Yes but where to you install this protection?

I had Lightning come into my house once and it hit the wall socket. Everything on that line that was plugged in or was for lighting was destroyed. The only thing that wasn't was my shower heater as it had its own circuit breaker protector.

Since an over-voltage protector is usually installed on your incoming power line it wouldn't have helped in my circumstances. The only thing that would have helped is to have everything unplugged, but even then I still had to replace my power cable and plug ins.

Over-voltage protectors also won't help if the lightning hits the phone line. Along the phone line, into the ADSL router, out the power and network cables.

Happened in my village about 6 months ago, all phone lines down for the day, and everyone lined up at the nearest computer store buying new routers. I heard one of the hotels lost about 50 wifi APs.

This is also the reason that the University that I attended required all inter-building network cables to be fibre.

Then put overvoltage protection on your phone line, yes it does exist, geez, how thick some people are.

Goldbuggy, IF lightning came into your house, just where did it come in, even so, lightning is very lazy, if you give it an easier path to earth that is where it will go, this is how overvoltage protection works, more than likely the lighning did come along the mains power and the circuit damaged was the easiest path to earth, if it had actually hit your house it would have scared the sh#t out of you, your family and neighbors from the explosive sound of the thunder and the crackling of the lightning itself. Perhaps you need to know what you are talking about, BEFORE commenting... oh wait, this is Thai Visa.

[Fookhaht]

In Surin our house was struck by lightning. Lost the new 55 inch smart tv, the motor for the electric gate, the internet modem melted, cctv recorder screwed and parts of the house no power now. But we were lucky. A friends house was struck and burnt to the ground the poor buggers. It was full on.

So, maybe time to get some over-voltage protection installed.

Or simply unplug things before a storm. Simple. Assuming, of course, you were at home!

[Berty100]

In Surin our house was struck by lightning. Lost the new 55 inch smart tv, the motor for the electric gate, the internet modem melted, cctv recorder screwed and parts of the house no power now. But we were lucky. A friends house was struck and burnt to the ground the poor buggers. It was full on.

So, maybe time to get some over-voltage protection installed.

Yes but where to you install this protection?

I had Lightning come into my house once and it hit the wall socket. Everything on that line that was plugged in or was for lighting was destroyed. The only thing that wasn't was my shower heater as it had its own circuit breaker protector.

Since an over-voltage protector is usually installed on your incoming power line it wouldn't have helped in my circumstances. The only thing that would have helped is to have everything unplugged, but even then I still had to replace my power cable and plug ins.

I had a lightning strike a few years ago, in the evening when most electric appliances are switched on.

Half of Pattaya was affected by this strike, and electronic repair shops had a field day.

I have 3 circuits with on each one an RCBO and a power surge protector.

All 3 RCBO's opened, nothing was damaged.

[GOLDBUGGY]

Media Watcher:

I know exactly what I am talking about as I was there and I saw this with my own eyes. I also explained to everyone how this happened but since you obviously never read my post I will repeat for you.

The Lightning first hit my lamp post out in my field which is about 100 yards to the house. How do I know that? Because the light bulb was shattered into fine pieces of glass and the receptacle was burnt to a crisp. The electricity to this unit was provide by 2 long extension cords coming from the house. Both of these extension cords had there rubber burnt right off as well. So to me some proof the Lightning traveled that way.

The Lightning then traveled through the extension cord plug-in upward to the first Wall Socket, which is about 5 feet off the ground. How do I know that? It is because between this extension cord plug-in laying on the floor and the Wall Socket that is about 5 feet above ground, my new bath towel was strung over a chair. This new bath towel now had a big burn hole right through it. This Wall socket was also all black and melted and about 3 inches of concrete was blown out of the concrete pillar.

The Lightning then traveled down this Wall Socket Circuit to the next Wall Socket. How do I know that? It is because everything that was plugged into this Wall Socket was destroyed including the Wall Socket itself and the Fuse on my Extension Cord Plug-in Distribution Box. My Bathroom Shower Heat is also on the same circuit and the Over Voltage Protection for that was tripped.

Why didn't I hear this Lightning when it was in the house? I never said I did or didn't. But keep in mind this Lightning Strike was about 100 yards away at my Fish Pond. Since Light travels far faster than sound, and this blinded white light that was close to me and from the second Wall Socket surprised and scared me, and them my wife's screaming, I am not sure what I heard later. I do remember the a jolt that went through my body when the White Flash happened, and caused me to jump up without knowing why, but it could have been fear and not electricity going through my body. Another thing I will never know for sure. I also remember the smell of burning rubber from the extension cord, and how I found that.

Yes, I know very well that Lightning takes the path of least resistance while striking and going to the ground. This event happened over a year ago and to this day I do not know why it traveled the way it did. It seems to me there must have been an easier way in which it could find a ground other than this way. I talked to several of my friends about it and even my brother who is an experience High Voltage Electrician, and he doesn't understand this either. But with my proof he does believe it happened this way, whereas you do not.

But if you are so sure about your theory to call someone else a liar before you hear the facts then may I suggest you test your own theory on yourself. On the next Lightning Storm go out with rubber boots on and hang onto you Lightning Rod Cable Wire. By all account if the Lightning strikes it should go to the ground and not through you. Good Luck Sparky!

But you still never answer the point that you raised here from you claims of the greatness of Over Voltage Protection and where to install them. On the Incoming Power Line which would have done absolutely noting to protect my equipment last time? On every piece of electrical equipment you have in your house which would cost a fortune, and yet all that is needed is to unplug them? On all your telephone lines, when if the Lightning hit your wall socket, it will still destroy you Modem and Lap Top Battery anyway? So where exactly should a person install 1 Over Voltage Protect which will protect all the electronic appliances in ones house? .

[westom]

Media Watcher:

I know exactly what I am talking about as I was there and I saw this with my own eyes. I .

You did not first learn why damage happens. Observation without also learning underlying principles creates junk science reasoning. A surge entered because it was not earthed BEFORE entering. Once inside, it went hunting for earth destructively via appliances, concrete, etc.

Nothing in your description says an interior protector did protection. Near zero (ie plug-in) protectors can self destruct on a surge too tiny to overwhelm superior protection inside an adjacent appliance.

Effective protection means direct lightning strikes without any damage - even to a protector. "If you give it an easier path to earth that is where it will go"? Harmlessly to earth on a path that is nowhere inside your building.

Some numbers. Lightning is done in microseconds. You could not see it. Lightning also does not have sufficient energy to do that damage. What you saw is well understood and called a 'follow through' current. IOW lightning damaged hardware and created plasma conductors; then stopped. Plasma (or failed hardware) connects a higher energy source into your house - AC electricity - for a long time. That is what you saw. You all but invited lightning inside. What followed was a massive AC current because lightning was not properly earthed before entering.

Your damage is classic of what happens when every incoming wire (including one from the light post) is not properly earthed BEFORE entering. Your example demonstrates that disconnection is futile. Every incoming wire must connect direct and low impedance (ie less than 3 meters) to earth before entering. Or make that same connection via a protector. Protector only does what a hardwire does better. Protection by earthing means a surge (and follow through current) is not inside to almost create a house fire.

You had damage because no effective protection existed. Observation without first learning well proven science resulted in erroneous conclusions. Even near zero (adjacent) protectors were a potential fire. Near zero protectors also must be protected by properly earthing a 'whole house' solution. You did not have any of that. Observations are useless if not first learning how electricity works and how surges do damage.

Media watcher was spot on correct.

[westom]

I have 3 circuits with on each one an RCBO and a power surge protector.

All 3 RCBO's opened, nothing was damaged.

Learn what actually happened. A surge too tiny was everywhere, simultaneously, in a path from cloud to earthborne charges kilometers away. Path included a house. Surge current was too tiny to overwhelm robust protection inside an appliance. Surge was done in microseconds. But the resulting and temporary short circuit caused an RCBO to trip tens of milliseconds later. RCBO (and adjacent protectors) did no protection. Best protection (if a 'whole house' solution was not installed) is already inside each appliance.

Nothing blocks a surge. Especially not a millimeters gap inside an RCBO. But many use observation (without electrical knowledge) to wildly speculate. How does a millimeters gap block what three kilometers of sky could not? How does an RCBO that takes tens of milliseconds to trip somehow (magically) block a surge done in microseconds? Observation not tempered by numbers is why junk science reasoning is widespread and popular.

You did not earth that current BEFORE it could enter. You got lucky. That current was too tiny to overwhelm superior protection inside the appliance. Learn from your near catastrophic event. And confirm the RCBOs still work. Since even those need protection only possible by earthing a 'whole house' solution. Protection means a destructive current need not enter a house - to hunt for earth ground destructively via interior wires and appliances.

Edited May 8, 2016 by westom

[Berty100]

I have 3 circuits with on each one an RCBO and a power surge protector.

All 3 RCBO's opened, nothing was damaged.

Learn what actually happened. A surge too tiny was everywhere, simultaneously, in a path from cloud to earthborne charges kilometers away. Path included a house. Surge current was too tiny to overwhelm robust protection inside an appliance. Surge was done in microseconds. But the resulting and temporary short circuit caused an RCBO to trip tens of milliseconds later. RCBO (and adjacent protectors) did no protection. Best protection (if a 'whole house' solution was not installed) is already inside each appliance.

Nothing blocks a surge. Especially not a millimeters gap inside an RCBO. But many use observation (without electrical knowledge) to wildly speculate. How does a millimeters gap block what three kilometers of sky could not? How does an RCBO that takes tens of milliseconds to trip somehow (magically) block a surge done in microseconds? Observation not tempered by numbers is why junk science reasoning is widespread and popular.

You did not earth that current BEFORE it could enter. You got lucky. That current was too tiny to overwhelm superior protection inside the appliance. Learn from your near catastrophic event. And confirm the RCBOs still work. Since even those need protection only possible by earthing a 'whole house' solution. Protection means a destructive current need not enter a house - to hunt for earth ground destructively via interior wires and appliances.

Of course earth before current can enter is installed, because I have my private transformer, which of course is earthed, as well as the pole it hangs on has a a lighting arrester installed on top.

The lightning strike was on the high voltage line, and I deliberately left out something from my post for know it alls like you.

My gate motor is the only thing that is not protected by the RCBO's as it is get it's power straight from the mains fuse where the power line enters my property, and the PCB was fried as well as the insulation of the wires leading to the motor.

[westom]

The lightning strike was on the high voltage line, and I deliberately left out something from my post for know it alls like you.

First, a previous post said why damage happened. High voltage wire struck. A follow through current was described with sufficient information to appreciate what created it. A lightning strike to high voltage creates plasma inside a transformer. So a high voltage was connected directly into all appliances - a follow through current..

Second, an RCBO can never do protection for so many reasons posted. One must use junk science reasoning (ie ignore science and those many posted numbers) to use observation as proof.

Furthermore, by reading with greater care, then obvious why the gate was at greatest risk - with or without an RCBO. Made obvious by the answer to a simple question - what does a surge hunt for?

Third, are you saying every incoming AC wire is earthed? If any one is not, then protection is missing. Just because only one is earthed does not mean protection exists. As explained in a previous post. If you did not install a 'whole house' protector, then earthing and effective protection does not exist. That human mistake explains your damage.

Direct lightning strike without damage was routine even over 100 years ago. But that means learning the answers to a simple question. Where do hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate? Solution is that simple. And not found in any millimeters gap inside an RCBO.

[GOLDBUGGY]

Media Watcher:

I know exactly what I am talking about as I was there and I saw this with my own eyes. I .

You did not first learn why damage happens. Observation without also learning underlying principles creates junk science reasoning. A surge entered because it was not earthed BEFORE entering. Once inside, it went hunting for earth destructively via appliances, concrete, etc.

Nothing in your description says an interior protector did protection. Near zero (ie plug-in) protectors can self destruct on a surge too tiny to overwhelm superior protection inside an adjacent appliance.

Effective protection means direct lightning strikes without any damage - even to a protector. "If you give it an easier path to earth that is where it will go"? Harmlessly to earth on a path that is nowhere inside your building.

Some numbers. Lightning is done in microseconds. You could not see it. Lightning also does not have sufficient energy to do that damage. What you saw is well understood and called a 'follow through' current. IOW lightning damaged hardware and created plasma conductors; then stopped. Plasma (or failed hardware) connects a higher energy source into your house - AC electricity - for a long time. That is what you saw. You all but invited lightning inside. What followed was a massive AC current because lightning was not properly earthed before entering.

Your damage is classic of what happens when every incoming wire (including one from the light post) is not properly earthed BEFORE entering. Your example demonstrates that disconnection is futile. Every incoming wire must connect direct and low impedance (ie less than 3 meters) to earth before entering. Or make that same connection via a protector. Protector only does what a hardwire does better. Protection by earthing means a surge (and follow through current) is not inside to almost create a house fire.

You had damage because no effective protection existed. Observation without first learning well proven science resulted in erroneous conclusions. Even near zero (adjacent) protectors were a potential fire. Near zero protectors also must be protected by properly earthing a 'whole house' solution. You did not have any of that. Observations are useless if not first learning how electricity works and how surges do damage.

Media watcher was spot on correct.

The lamp post was sitting on a wooden box and only a couple of feet off the ground.

What I don't understand is that when this lightning hit the lamp, why didn't it just go to the ground there and then? Why travel 100 yards through an extension cord, then jump up at least 5 feet through air to find a ground, which air has better insulation qualities then wood, otherwise a tree would never be hit. when it had an easy ground outside?

[westom]

What I don't understand is that when this lightning hit the lamp, why didn't it just go to the ground there and then? Why travel 100 yards through an extension cord, then jump up at least 5 feet through air to find a ground, which air has better insulation qualities then wood, otherwise a tree would never be hit. when it had an easy ground outside?

Perspective is necessary. Stand farther back and examine everything in that path. 3 kilometers down from a cloud and 4 kilometers through earth to charges. Even geology beneath that lamp post, under that building, and beyond must be known. Examine the entire circuit - not just 5 feet.

In another event, rather than travel 5 kilometers across the sky, a shortest electrical connection from cloud to earth was 3 kilometers down to a tree (wooden tree being a better conductor) and then four kilometers through earth. Some ten meters from that tree was a cow. Best path was also up that cow's hind legs and down its fore legs. Cow was killed because it was a 4 foot part of a path from cloud to earthborne charges.

Why would lightning arc across five feet? Why is five feet significant when the conductive path even involved 3 kilometers of air? What was beneath and the material that defined that floor? Even concrete is a better electrical conductor here (learn about Ufer grounds). Without better information, we can only speculate. But we know this. Lightning was making a best connection from cloud to earthborne charges. Many materials considered not electrically conductive (ie wooden church steeple, concrete, linoleum floor, various earths, wall paint, etc) are good conductors when discussing lightning.

In another example, two buildings were interconnected by almost 100 meters of ethernet. Lightning struck one building. Ethernet cable did not connect to each building's single point earth ground before entering. So a best connection from cloud to earth was incoming on the first building, through an ethernet cable (more conductive than earth), and then destructively through many computers in a second building.

No computers in the first (struck) building were damaged. Those were not in a conductive path. To connect to earthborne charges (maybe four kilometers distant), a best path was destructively through computers in a second building. In that case over 100 meters of better conductive wires made up part of that 4 kilometers.

Lightning is not capricious. It will find conductors overlooked by a human. Most lightning damage is traceable to human mistake. An answer begins with learning how many items are better electrical conductors in a path that also included five feet between extension cord and receptacle. Learn why a best conductive path that included 100 yard of extension cord, maybe another 50 yards of household wiring, and then 1000 yards of utility wires also included less than 5 feet of conductive floor material and arcing into the receptacle. Above cow was killed by an earthed voltage created only four feet between hind and for legs. Those five feet were created by an earthed voltage that was maybe 1150 years apart.

Best answer is found by viewing the entire circuit between maybe 3 kilometers from cloud to pole and maybe another four kilometers from utility wires to earthborne charges.

[willyumiii]

Seems like a damned good reason to put them underground.

Underground conductors are not the great solution many people think they are.

Things do move around underground and cause outages.

It is very difficult and time consuming to locate problems with underground conductors, resulting in much longer periods of power outages and much higher cost of repairs than with above ground conductors.

Above ground, problems can be located and repaired much faster.

Combining the much higher cost of installing conductors underground, the higher cost of maintenance dictates that most conductors are installed above ground.

I worked for the largest power company on the west coast of America for 15 years and know this to be true.

[rice555]

Hello All, too lazy to start a new thread, I saw some pic's from a neighbor ying,

that part of the roof of the OLD wooden light green hotel to the R/H side of Ya Mo

lost part of it's roof and there was other wind damage in the downtown area.

rice555 6K out Hwy 226 from the 224/226 Y and raining.