Terrifying moment lightning strike causes tower of flames in South Carolina as hurricane weather threatens US
With torrential wind and rain making driving conditions difficult the lightning strike saw a fireball erupt into the grey skies above. The split-second blast turned a the morning commute into a scene of chaos.
The bolt detonated the transformer in a blinding flash before igniting a raging fire.
Almost immediately a series of electric power lines also overloaded and surged setting ablaze with several blue electrical explosions seen together with sparks falling onto the road from overhead.
For a brief second it looked as though day had turned in to night as thick black smoke emanated from the flames and drifted across the road.
It also led to the traffic lights immediately failing. They were out of action for around three hours.
The bolt also led to the struck powerline coming down during what was some particularly nasty weather.
'A bit too much excitement for a Monday!' Mount Pleasant PD tweeted.
'The lightning strike caused our power outages and traffic delays. Fortunately, no one was injured, and Dominion Energy responded quickly, restoring power and removing the downed wires.'
'This was caught on an officer's dash cam around 11 a.m. at the intersection of Hwy 17 & Shelmore Blvd, bringing down wires across the roadway and causing widespread power outages. More than a dozen Officers and CSOs managed traffic at seven intersections for roughly three hours,' the department wrote.
The torrential rains in South Carolina came during what has been a quiet season for tropical storms so far this summer, but the lightning strike hit as forecasters warned that Tropical Storm Erin, churning hundreds of miles east of the Caribbean, could strengthen into the season's first Atlantic hurricane later this week.
Erin formed on Monday in the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean and could become the first hurricane of the 2025 season.
The Miami-based National Hurricane Center said no coastal watches or warnings are in effect for either storm.
By Monday afternoon, Erin was about 430 miles west-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands and had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, according to the hurricane center.
It said Erin was moving westward at 20 mph and is expected to continue on that general path for several days.
Erin could reach hurricane intensity by the latter part of the week.
The hurricane center said it remains too early to determine possible impacts, if any, from Erin as it moves closer to the northern Leeward Islands.
Mount Pleasant Police say the traffic lights were out for three hours as a result of the strike
AccuWeather shows dangerous sea and rip currents are set from Daytona Beach, Florida, up to Nantucket in Massachusetts.
'Families heading to Atlantic beaches before heading back to school should be cautious and stay in areas with lifeguards on duty,' DaSilva added.
Should Erin grow considerably in size and strength, tropical storm conditions may extend outward 100 miles or more.
A major hurricane passing 100 miles east of the US or west of Bermuda could still bring tropical-storm-force winds, rough seas, and heavy rain.
In the US, the areas most at risk would be the easternmost stretches of coastline, including North Carolina's Outer Banks, Long Island in New York and New England's Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.
Max Devitt, a meteorologist at WINKNews in Florida, shared on X: 'Even if Erin stays offshore, it would become a powerful hurricane in the Atlantic with the potential to bring larger waves and rip currents to the US East Coast.
'Bermuda still needs to closely monitor this system.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
9 hours ago
- The Independent
Deadly wildfires cause chaos across Europe as thousands evacuated
Wildfires continue to intensify across southern Europe with a round-the-clock battle to protect the perimeter of Greece 's third-largest city and at least three deaths reported in Spain, Turkey and Albania. Outside the Greek port city of Patras, firefighters struggled to protect homes and agricultural facilities as flames tore through pine forests and olive groves. Tall columns of flames rose behind apartment blocks on the outskirts of the city, while dozens of vehicles were torched as flames swept through a nearby impound lot. "Today is another very difficult day with the level of fire risk remaining very high across many parts of the country," Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyiannis said. At least 15 firefighters were hospitalised or received medical attention for burns, smoke inhalation or exhaustion, he added. As water-dropping planes and helicopters swooped overhead, residents joined the effort, beating back flames with cut branches or dousing them with buckets of water. Firefighting resources were stretched thin in many affected countries as they battled multiple outbreaks following weeks of heat waves and temperature spikes across the Mediterranean region. On the Greek island of Chios, exhausted firefighters slept on the roadside following a night-long shift. Aircraft rotated between blazes on the western Greek mainland, the Patras area and the island of Zakynthos. Athens also sent assistance to neighboring Albania, joining an international effort to combat dozens of wildfires. An 80-year-old man died in one blaze south of the capital, Tirana, officials said Wednesday. Residents of four villages were evacuated in central Albania near a former army ammunition depot. In the southern Korca district, near the Greek border, explosions were reported from buried World War II-era artillery shells. Authorities said dozens of homes were gutted in a central region of the country. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed condolences after the death of a firefighting volunteer in the hard-hit Castile and León region north of the capital, Madrid, where thousands have been displaced by evacuations. "The wildfire situation remains serious, and taking extra precautions is essential," Sánchez wrote in an online post. "Thank you, once again, to all those working tirelessly to fight the flames." Evacuation centers were filled to capacity in parts of central Spain, with some spending the night outdoors on folding beds. The most severe fires pushed northward into more rural areas, where some residents hosed the walls of their homes to try and protect them from fire. Services along a high-speed rail link between Madrid and the northwestern Galicia region were suspended after fires got close to some sections of the tracks, state rail company Renfe said. In Turkey, a forestry worker was killed Wednesday while responding to a wildfire in a southern region, officials said. The Forestry Ministry said the worker died in an accident involving a fire truck that left four others injured. Turkey has been battling severe wildfires since late June. A total of 18 people have been killed, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers who died in July. In France, which is recovering from massive recent fires in the southern regions, temperatures of up to 42 degrees Celsius (108 Fahrenheit) were expected for the third consecutive day. Officials issued weather alerts giving local authorities discretion to cancel public events and cordon off areas with high fire risks. Authorities across European countries have cited multiple causes for the massive fires, including careless farming practices, improperly maintained power cables and summer lightning storms. Law enforcement officials in North Macedonia also cited indications of arson, motivated by rogue developers. Firefighters struggled to contain a blaze at a nature reserve outside the capital, Skopje, on Wednesday. The European Union has rushed aid to fire-hit countries, including non-member states, with ground crews and water-dropping aircraft. Much of the recent effort was concentrated on Montenegro, where major wildfires continued to burn in rugged areas near the capital, Podgorica. "Natural disasters know no borders," Ljuban Tmusic, head of Montenegro's civil protection agency said. "In Montenegro, the resources we have ... are clearly not enough." Spain is seeking help from its European partners, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said on Wednesday. In particular, it requested two Canadair planes, he said in an interview with local media Cadena SER. "At the moment we don't need the two Canadair planes urgently, but, given the weather forecast, we want to have those planes in our national territory as soon as possible so they can be used, should they be necessary," he said. While for now it isn't necessary, the country is ready to seek more help from its European allies, such as more firefighters, he added.
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Video shows mangled train cars on top of each other after huge derailment
Aerial footage shows the aftermath of a derailed freight train in Texas on Tuesday (12 August), which saw 35 carriages come off the track. The damaged carts can be seen piled up on one another, as fire burns from the nearby bush whilst emergency service workers attend the scene. 'No cars are leaking contents. No injuries reported,' Palo Pinto County emergency services confirmed in a social media post. Officials said that a clean-up operation will be underway for several days to remove the hazardous carts.
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Dramatic weather change in store as heatwave passes
Yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms have been issued by the Met Office for parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland. The warnings are in place from Wednesday evening into Thursday, following the fourth heatwave of the summer which saw temperatures reach 33C in some places. Forecasters anticipate heavy showers, with up to 50mm of rainfall possible, alongside hail and gusty winds. Potential disruptions include difficult driving conditions, road closures, and a slight chance of power cuts. There is also a warning of a small risk to life from fast-flowing or deep floodwater in affected areas.
