When a person is struck by lightning, the visible physical impact can range from subtle markings to severe injuries, reflecting the immense energy involved. The electrical discharge, though often lasting only a fraction of a second, can deliver millions of volts and thousands of amperes of current. This causes immediate and diverse effects on the body’s surface and internal systems, often leaving distinct signs. The appearance of a person after being struck provides insight into the electrical current’s pathways.
Distinct Skin Patterns
One of the most recognizable signs of a lightning strike on a person’s skin is the appearance of Lichtenberg figures. These fern-like or tree-like patterns emerge on the skin’s surface following a strike. Also known as keraunographic marks or “lightning flowers,” they are reddish, non-blanching marks that are not true burns. Instead, they result from the electrical discharge causing capillaries just beneath the skin to rupture.
The patterns typically manifest within minutes to an hour after the lightning strike and can cover large areas of the body, often appearing on the arms, back, neck, chest, or shoulders. Lichtenberg figures are generally temporary, fading and disappearing within 24 hours to a few days as the superficial capillary damage resolves. Their presence is a strong indicator of a lightning strike, making them a distinctive diagnostic sign for medical professionals.
Types of Burn Injuries
A lightning strike can cause various types of burn injuries. Flash burns are common, resulting from the intense heat and light generated when lightning “flashes over” the body’s surface. These often appear as superficial or partial thickness burns, resembling scalds, and occur when moisture on the skin, such such as sweat or rain, is instantly vaporized into steam. The rapid expansion of this superheated steam can also contribute to clothing damage.
Contact burns occur when the lightning current passes through metal objects worn on the body, such as jewelry, belt buckles, or zippers. These metallic items heat up rapidly due to the electrical current, causing localized, sometimes severe, burns in the shape of the object where it touches the skin. These burns can range from superficial to full thickness, depending on the heat generated and the duration of contact. Punctate burns may also appear as clustered, circular marks, which result from the current exiting deep tissues. True full-thickness burns are less common, typically occurring when objects are heated to a high degree and melt onto the skin.
Entry and exit wounds may also be present, marking where the lightning current entered and left the body. These wounds can vary significantly in appearance. When present, they may appear as charred or deep burns. The location and severity of these wounds depend on the path the current takes through the body.
Damage to Clothing and Accessories
A lightning strike also leaves noticeable damage on a person’s clothing and accessories. Clothing can be ripped, shredded, or scorched due to the rapid heating and expansion of air, or the direct passage of current. The intense heat can even cause synthetic fabrics to melt onto the skin. The explosive force created by the superheated air can blow off a person’s clothes and shoes.
Metal objects worn on the body, such as jewelry or watches, can melt or become superheated. As metal conducts electricity efficiently, the lightning current flows through these items, causing rapid heating. This can inflict contact burns on the skin underneath. While metal objects do not attract lightning, they can become dangerous conductors if a strike occurs nearby. Shoes may also be damaged or blown off due to the force of the current exiting the body through the feet.