Lightning Blasts Hole in Pittsburgh Runway

news image
Special Stories
15 Jul 2020 8:44 AM
There was something moving a little faster than the planes at the Pittsburgh International Airport earlier this month; lightning. https://twitter.com/PITairport/status/1283099622844633090 According to the Pittsburgh International Airport, a cloud-to-ground lightning strike hit Runway 10L/28R last week and blasted a hole that was three feet wide, three feet long, and three inches deep. According to airport officials at PIT, the runway had to be closed but fortunately was repaired by the following morning. Strong to severe thunderstorms were in the area on that day producing strong winds, heavy rain and as you can see, lightning too. Lightning commonly hits around airports because of the wide, open space airfields require, offering more acreage and space for zaps to occur. Also there can be higher towers or certain equipment that help draw lightning bolts from the ground to the cloud. However in this case, it's a little rarer for a bolt to blast the flat runway. Usually the lightning will grab onto a taller object. This goes to show that with summer storms, lightning can strike anywhere and anytime. You've probably heard that you're generally safer in a car when lightning hits, and that's mostly true. It needs to be a hard top vehicle because the outer casing and shell of the car helps transfer that electricity around and down through the ground. The same goes for a plane, as the lightning can hit and travel around the body/shell of the aircraft and down to the ground. While being in a vehicle is safer, being in a sturdy building is best. When thunder roars, go indoors! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCXmPOpbO94 Watch the video above for additional lightning safety tips from John Van Pelt. The cover picture is a file image and is courtesy James Minot in Slater, Iowa.
All Weather News
More
Historic Heat Continues Out West

Historic Heat Continues Out West

A historic fall heatwave continues across the

4 Oct 2024 10:20 PM
Tropical Update: Kirk & Leslie in the Central Altantic, Another Landfall in Mexico

Tropical Update: Kirk & Leslie in the Central Altantic, Another Landfall in Mexico

While tropical activity in the Atlantic tends

4 Oct 2024 10:20 PM
Florida Rainfall and Next Gulf Area to Monitor

Florida Rainfall and Next Gulf Area to Monitor

FLORIDA - A stalled frontal boundary across t

4 Oct 2024 10:15 PM
Fall Fronts Spark Hail and Wind Threat

Fall Fronts Spark Hail and Wind Threat

IOWA - Strong storms moved through Iowa earli

4 Oct 2024 10:00 PM
Fire Danger Continues Into The Weekend

Fire Danger Continues Into The Weekend

BOISE, ID - A new fire east of Boise, Idaho s

4 Oct 2024 9:55 PM
Search, Rescue and Supplies, the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene

Search, Rescue and Supplies, the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene

From being the strongest hurricane to make la

4 Oct 2024 1:30 AM
Flooding Threat Continues as Leftover Helene Spins Towards the East Coast

Flooding Threat Continues as Leftover Helene Spins Towards the East Coast

Roads washed out. Whole towns were destroyed.

1 Oct 2024 10:00 AM