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Struck by Lightning

Getting struck by lightning is not something you want to risk, but for some people it takes a little convincing. Roy Sullivan, for instance, was a park ranger who was stuck by lighting seven times and actually survived.

The Surface Of The Sun

How is that possible? Lightning heats the air around it to about 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That's five times hotter than the surface of the sun. With a temperatures like that, you may be wondering how anyone could survive that kind of heat!

Well, when lightning strikes, it seeks the path of least resistance to the ground. So if it strikes your shoulder it can travel down the side of your body, and into the ground. It causes tissue damage, but as long as it doesn't strike your heart or spinal cord, you'll live.

When Lightening Strikes

On average, about 255 people are struck by lightning each year, and about 96 of those people die. Even if you manage to survive, getting struck by lightning can cause serious problems, like short and long-term memory loss, and problems with fine motor skills like buttoning a shirt.

One guy who was struck by lightning fell into a coma and went blind in both eyes when he woke up.

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