Patrick Skach, our Oak Brook weather observer, has provided us dramatic evidence of impressive lightning damage produced by Sunday afternoon and evening's rash of late season thunderstorms. While generating much needed rainfall in significant sections of the drought ravaged Chicago metro area--0.94" at O'Hare and 1.54" at Oak Brook as examples--these thunderstorms also unleashed a barrage of cloud to ground lightning strokes which had an explosive effect upon contact with trees with which they had contact. Lightning heats tree sap so quickly that much of the liquid which comprises the sap is transformed to steam which takes up more volume than the liquid from which it is produced. The result? Trees struck by lightning are literally blown apart.
-Tom Skilling
Photos by Patrick Skach - Oak Brook 10-02-2005 3:05pm Strike
