Tag : reindeer

How Does One Lightning Strike Kill Multiple Animals?

E&S Grounding Solutions Nov 6, 2019 0 92

Herd animals that gather in groups are typically killed not by a direct lightning strike, but by the current flowing through the ground from the strike. What happens is that the lightning strike often hits a tree or the ground near where the animals are gathered and the electrical current then spreads along the surface of the ground and shocks any people or animals in the vicinity of the strike. Electrical current literally goes up one leg and down the other back into the ground. Eventually, the current dissipates as it flows further and further from the strike point.