this post was submitted on 25 Apr 2025
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Mildly Interesting

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[–] [email protected] 102 points 1 month ago (26 children)

Electrocuted, basically:

“Lightning does not strike a point, it strikes an area,” said John Jensenius, a lightning safety specialist with the National Weather Service. “The physical flash you see strikes a point, but that lightning is radiating out as ground current and it’s very deadly.”

[–] [email protected] 35 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (18 children)

That's interesting. I have seen lightning split a tree and then follow wires into a house blowing out the wall all long the path of the wires. I have also seen it lift up decking when following underground wires.

But if lightning hits with no lightning rod and ground is equally everywhere I guess I could imagine this result.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 month ago (14 children)

and ground is equally everywhere

You make an interesting point; Lapland is known for being relatively flat, often stony and pretty much treeless. I'm sure that contributed to an increased radius.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Small correction: this was in southwestern Norway; Lapland is in the far north of Finland.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Oh, sorry I just assumed Lapland when I saw reindeer.

Lapland - or Sápmi to be precise, but that's an even larger area - is in the North of Finland, Sweden and Norway.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

When you correct people, double-check that you're correct.
I spent several weeks in Lapland, and I was nowhere close to Finland at any point

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I did, and I suppose you did as well which would have shown you what I meant and the differences between the Lapland of Finland and the general Sápmi region which is not often referred to as Lapland any more.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] -5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I hope you put more effort and nuance into discussions you have elsewhere!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

Idk man. They're completely in the right. I've never heard of anyone thinking Lapland is solely Finnish?

Even the Finnish Wiki doesn't think that.

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