US: Lightning Strike Blows Toilet Apart After Travelling Through Exhaust Vent
A lightning strike shattered a toilet after it went through the apartment's exhaust vent in Oklahoma, US, during intense thunderstorms.
A lightning strike shattered a toilet after going through the apartment's exhaust vent in Oklahoma, US, during intense thunderstorms.
Fortunately, there was no one actually using the toilet during the time of the incident. The photos going viral show the toilet left destroyed and in pieces all over the floor.
Twitter/@wxcaudle
The unfortunate but bizarre incident occurred on Wednesday, May 4. Firefighters from the Okmulgee Fire Department were called to the scene of the apartment after the event took place.
The lightning that struck the apartment complex first hit the roof before coming through a metal exhaust vent and hitting the water within the toilet, FOX 4 reported.
In a statement shared with Nexstar, Fire Chief Dewayne Hurt reported the toilet was nearly wholly destroyed but thankfully no one was injured.
"The fan was destroyed and the toilet bowl was severely damaged. There was a slightly burned rafter in the attic area where we believe the lightning struck," he said.
Okmulgee, Oklahoma fire crews say they had a bizarre lightning strike call at the Oxford Apartments overnight. They say lightning came through the vent in the roof and struck the toilet, shattering it. Photos from @brookegrif_tv. #okwx pic.twitter.com/sLP83ccXAo
¡ª Weathercaster Johnny Caudle (@wxcaudle) May 5, 2022
As well as causing the loo to blow up, the lightning bolt also started a small fire in the apartment's attic. Fortunately, crews were able to extinguish the blaze.
The apartment complex told local television station KWCH that no one had been staying in the apartment at the time of the storm. However, it was due to be rented out the following morning.
Okmulgee Fire Lieutenant Rocky Morrow said: "I¡¯ve worked at the fire department for 19 years and never seen anything like it."
Earlier in February, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) confirmed that a lightning strike in the US set a new world record.
The single bolt of lightning, that struck Louisiana on April 29, 2020, travelled for nearly 770 kilometres over three states to set the world record. According to World Meteorological Organisation, the mega flash stretched a full 768 km across Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
WMO shared the news on Twitter and told their followers that the record has been verified.
WMO has verified 2 new world records for a??lightning #megaflash
¡ª World Meteorological Organization (@WMO) February 1, 2022
Longest distance single flash of 768 km (477.2 miles) across southern #USA - 60 kilometres MORE than old record
Greatest duration of 17.102 seconds over #Uruguay and northern #Argentina https://t.co/6AzyzTgMIO pic.twitter.com/VqUgxEDHB2
The tweet said the lightning bolt covered 60 km more than the previous record. "WMO has verified 2 new world records for a high voltage sign lighting #megaflash. Longest distance single flash of 768 km (477.2 miles) across southern #USA - 60 kilometres MORE than the old record. Greatest duration of 17.102 seconds over #Uruguay and northern #Argentina," read the tweet.
The distance covered by the mega flash is the same distance between New York City and Columbus, Ohio, or between London and the German city of Hamburg, WMO said in a statement.
The previous record was set in south Brazil on October 31, 2019. The new one surpassed it by 60 kilometres.
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