iStockphoto / KonArt
Most of the state of Florida has been under some measure of drought warning for months. There are huge swaths of the Sunshine State that are ‘Extreme Drought’ conditions including where I live.
As a reminder of the dangers faced each day in the state with regards to wildfires, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office recently shared a slow motion video of lightning zapping a tree. It is wild to see how quickly the leaves wither up.
Lightning Nukes Tree In Florida As Reminder Of Wildfire Threat
It is unclear who filmed this video shared by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. Nor is it abundantly clear what they are hoping to accomplish by sharing it… Is the idea to get people to cut down their massive trees? Is that really what we want in Florida, fewer trees when the state is already leveling endless acres to build cookie cutter homes? But I digress.
From the moment the lightning hits the tree you can see the branches completely change direction and leaves start falling left and right. WPLG news shared a clip from on-air that shows the action a few times:
If you would prefer to see the original clip on Instagram from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office you can find that here.
Florida has recently lost its claim to being the ‘Lightning Capital of America‘ as lightning activity in Oklahoma overtook the Sunshine State. That is a tough pill to swallow as a born and raised Floridian. Heck, our best hockey team is named the Lightning. And we’re just supposed to accept that Oklahoma has more lightning than us? Doesn’t seem right.