Video Of Irish Woman Almost Hit By Lightning While Filming Rainstorm Goes Viral

The video of Nicola Duffy, an Irish woman who was almost hit by lightning while filming a rainstorm on May 18, has gone viral. It has received more than 330,000 hits since it was posted on YouTube a week ago.

Duffy, who teaches at the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown in Dublin, was recording the heavy downpour for her mother when lightning struck. It hit the opposite side of the courtyard where she was standing, report United Press International.

The streak of light was followed by a loud noise, and then Duffy fell to the ground. The building that was apparently struck by the lightning did not suffer any damage, causing some people who saw the video to think it was a reflection of a lightning strike that happened nearby. Duffy said because of the lightning being very bright and loud, she though an object fell from the sky or there was an explosion.

According to Physics.org, a bolt of lightning’s energy could toast 100,000 slices of bread. It could also cause the clothes and shoes of a person hit by lightning to blow off as moisture on the skin rapidly boils and turns to steam. Objects that touch the skin would burn. The lightning-strike victim also runs the risk of losing his hearing and sight as well as suffering from headaches.

The Web site recommends for people caught in a thunderstorm to get inside their vehicles. Although the car is made of metal, a person inside the automobile is safe since it has become Faraday cages. It is based on the principle that electric fields cannot exist within a conductor, with the charge remaining on the surface.

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