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Close-up tower lightning, May 8
HD EXPEDITION VIDEO: 5 upward lightning discharges, close-up view
The big hybrid derecho/MCV/flash flood mega-storm hit the Appalachians this evening and got shredded to bits. For me, that left only the close-up tower lightning play. The system was collapsing fast, and even the lightning barely made it into the state before vanishing entirely. Not before hitting the WVAH tower a total of 9 times though, 4 of which I missed while driving up to the Coal Mountain site. Most of the flashes were single return strokes, only one did I manage to catch a still of one full stroke. The clip above shows the five hits I did manage to get.
![](may809bt.jpg) click to enlarge
I got one nice bead-out shot, this is the beading stage of the stroke shown above:
![](may809ct.jpg) click to enlarge
Closer crop - the glowing particles near the tower tip are 'arc welded' shards of metal drifting away. The rest of the glowing areas are the decaying lightning channel.
![](may809ft.jpg) click to enlarge
More bead-outs of some of the other flashes:
![](may809dt.jpg) click to enlarge
![](may809at.jpg) click to enlarge
![](may809et.jpg) click to enlarge
Dan - suppose that'd weld the bolts together! LOL
- Posted by Tony | |
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