Lightning Scars and the Stories Behind Them

At one point in life, everyone gets a scar. In some cases, a scar is a badge of honor, while other times it’s just a painful injury. Some people might get a scar from falling off their bike or another type of accident. One of the rarest forms of scars is a result of lightning strikes.

In Back to the Future, when lightning strikes the DeLorean, it sends Marty McFly back in time. In reality, there’s no time travel involved when struck by a bolt of lightning from the sky. Lightning strikes are dangerous, painful, and can leave scarring. Also called the Lichtenberg figure, these lightning scars are rare with unique designs.

Lightening Scars and the Stories Behind Them

Types of Lightning Strikes

Wesley West/Shutterstock

There are several different types of lightning strikes. Direct strikes are the rarest and only make up about 5% of injuries. A contact strike is also uncommon and happens when lightning hits an object while an individual touches it. 

One of the most common forms of lightning strikes is the side splash. A side splash transpires when lightning hits nearby, rebounds, travels through the air, and strikes the victim. 

Ground current strikes make up most of the injuries and deaths. In this case, lightning hits the ground nearby and travels to the victim. The injuries vary among those hit, but they often suffer severe burns and lightning scars. 

Lightning Injuries

TomoNews US/YouTube

Lightning strikes can cause scarring, trauma, severe injury, and death. There are roughly 30 lightning-related deaths a year in the United States. Furthermore, about 85% of fatalities are male. One of the possible reasons most victims of lightning strikes are male is that they spend more time outdoors engaging in reckless behavior. 

Lightning strikes often result in respiratory failure and heart asystole. Respiratory failure from a lightning strike is often a prolonged death. In the case of asystole, death occurs quickly after the strike. 

Between 1824 and 1991, roughly 650 lightning-related deaths occurred in Australia. In the United Kingdom, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents reports that three people die yearly from lightning. 

Other injuries include hearing loss, headaches, and burns, with those suffering burns often left with unique scarring.

Lichtenberg Figure

thepoultrypeople/YouTube

A Lichtenberg figure is an electric blast on the surface or inside insulating materials. These blasts sometimes result from mechanical failure or electrical breakdown in gases, solids, and liquids. Lightning strikes cause a similar reaction and pattern in the human body. 

History

In 1777, German physicist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg was the first to notice this rare branching phenomenon. In order to test out his theory, Lichtenberg created a large electrophorus to build up high-voltage electricity. After releasing the energy, he would cover the surface with powdered material and then press sheets of paper to the surface to record the pattern. Lichtenberg’s discovery would pave the way for xerography. His research also resulted in the scarring gaining the name Lichtenberg. 

Types of Scars

The branching pattern often appears on grassy golf courses or wooden areas. These branching patterns are distinct and impossible to miss. 

Branching also occurs in the human body. Getting hit by lightning is a painful experience often accompanied by extreme heat, causing severe burns. While getting struck by lightning is infrequent, Lichtenberg figures are even rarer. 

The severity of a lightning strike varies from person to person. A lightning strike sometimes causes side effects and symptoms to appear well after the strike. It’s common for lightning strike victims’ capillaries to burst under the skin hours or days after the initial strike. 

The discharge of electricity creates a unique branching pattern in the skin while an identical pattern often appears on the ground around the area of contact. 

In fact, it’s typical for the same branching pattern on the skin to appear underground in the area of contact. The extreme heat fuses into the ground making the pattern part of the Earth. 

Cases

KSC | Knowledge, Science, Culture Everyday/YouTube

There have been only a few rare cases of lightning strikes resulting in Lichtenberg figures recorded over the years. Australian expert Dr. Chris Andrews stated, “Lightning tree scars only sometimes appear within hours of the incident and tend to disappear within days.” For this reason, it’s virtually impossible to track down real-life cases. 

The fictional character Harry Potter is the central figure in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter book and movie series. Potter is the most famous fictional character to have a Lichtenberg figure. The unique scar resembles a lightning bolt and is central to his characters’ story. Despite looking like a lightning bolt, Potter’s scar comes from Lord Voldemort and the killing curse, or avada kedavra. 

In real life, lightning strikes might not have the same backstory but result in similarly unique shapes. There have been a few reported cases as detailed below. 

Javier Tapia and Josiah Wiedman

In August 2018, lightning struck a 13-year-old boy, Javier Tapia, and his friend, Josiah Wiedman, in a park in Mirage, Arizona. Wiedman suffered a fractured skull and concussion from the incident.

Lightning hit Tapia in his hip and exited through his foot. The lightning left Litctenberg figures in both areas. Initially, Tapia felt a sudden shock sending him to the ground. He noted, “I got struck. I didn’t feel myself fall down. It felt like I was floating. But I was still able to hear everything.”

After a few minutes, Tapia began feeling severe burns on his hip and foot. He noted, “At first, I didn’t feel anything, but after I was able to get control of my arms after they were helping me, that’s just when everything started burning.”

Winston Kemp

In May 2011, then-24-year-old electrician Winston Kemp went out late one night to save his crop of pumpkins. With a pumpkin in his hand, Kemp ran back into the house. That’s when he saw a strange flash in his neighbor’s backyard. A few minutes later, his arm felt sore, but Kemp put it out of his mind. He was still worried about his pumpkins. 

After 45 minutes, Kemp noticed the branching effect all over his arms. The Lichtenberg figures took up most of his arm, but he didn’t pay much attention to it. He chose not to get medical attention. 

Several weeks later, Kemp’s girlfriend returned and freaked out when she saw the Lichtenberg figures down his arm. There was no point in seeing a doctor at that time. Soon, the Lichtenberg figure disappeared, although he still feels intense pain. 

Roy Sullivan

Roy Sullivan began working as a park ranger at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia in the late 1930s. He’s best known for surviving seven separate lightning strike incidents between 1942 and 1977. The first strike hit his left toe and severely burned his right leg. It likely left a distinct Lichtenberg figure on Sullivan’s leg.

In 1972, Sullivan took a lightning bolt to the shoulder, causing severe burns to his back. Once again, he likely suffered Lichtenberg figures on his shoulder. With all seven incidents combined, he probably had Lichtenberg figures on most of his body at one point, although no pictures were ever taken of his lightning scars. Due to his bad luck with lightning, most people kept their distance, with Sullivan becoming lonely in his old age and comitting suicide. 

Prevention

Irina Kozorog/Shutterstock

The best way to prevent lightning strikes is to remain indoors during thunderstorms. Avoid isolated groups of trees, cliffs, lakes, and tall structures if you are stuck outdoors during a thunderstorm.