I always thought that anything struck by lightning would be black and burnt.
Yesterday, I discovered that it doesn’t have to be. This tree was struck during last Friday night’s thunderstorm, and all that happened was a strip of bark coming off from where the tree was hit, all the way down to the ground.
![from top to bottom](http://blog.locusmeus.com/media/1/20050627-thunderstruck-2.jpg)
Here you can see the path the lightning took on its way to the ground.
![where the tree got struck](http://blog.locusmeus.com/media/1/20050627-thunderstruck-3.jpg)
This is where the lightning first hit the tree — maybe it’s my imagination, but I think I see a very slight blackening on the white wood.
![damaged tree](http://blog.locusmeus.com/media/1/20050627-thunderstruck-4.jpg)
A close-up of the damage, taken near the bottom of the tree.
The juices in the tree got the highest current and evaporated, and hence pushed the bark outside.
Nice pictures.