Storm chaser Scott Sheppard might be one of the luckiest people alive on the planet. Why? Because not many people can claim to walk away from a direct lightning strike and talk about it like nothing happened.
According to Severe Studios , the incident occurred in Fairburn, South Dakota, where storm chaser Scott Sheppard was making a video of the beautiful landscape and an approaching storm. He was one of several storm chasers in the area at the time.
All seemed well until a massive explosion rocked the area and Sheppard realized that he was hit by lightning. The veteran storm chaser had his arms out of the window of his vehicle when the lighting struck. He says that the strike hit his arm and traveled down to the ground.
In fact, the force of the lightning strike was so intense, it actually blew a hole in the pavement. You can also see the debris flying into the air seconds after the lightning strike. This was material ejected from the pavement by the force of the impact.
The storm chaser’s car was damaged after the strike and was rendered immobile. A passing car also suffered a similar fate after it was hit by the same bolt. Both cars had to be towed away to be repaired.
As for Scott Sheppard, he was left with a sore arm – and lots of respect from other storm chasers.
The video shot by Scott Sheppard has been since then uploaded online and has gone viral. The clip, which has over 200,000 views after only 24 hours, is truly one of a kind and well worth watching.
The storm that hit the Dakotas is thought to be part of a mass of violent weather reported in the region, attracting storm chasers from across the US.
[Image via Wikimedia Commons]
