Storm clouds over Costa Rica a few days ago produced a little over 0.11 percent of the average daily global lighting strikes in just two hours.
The impressive thunderstorm that soaked great portions of the Central Valley on Wednesday evening delivered 2,000 lightning strikes, frying household appliances and electronics and striking fear in the hearts of dogs that affected by canine astraphobia (fear of thunder, lightning and storms in general).
Chief Weather Forecaster Werner Stolz of the National Institute of Meteorology in Costa Rica explained that a combination of high temperatures and excess humidity caused the phenomenon. The storm was first reported in the western portion of Alajuela before moving in an easterly direction towards Heredia, where many residents of Barrio Fatima reported that their electronics and appliances ceased operating that evening.
The sky fireworks were accentuated by the early darkness, and they managed to impress neighbors of Tibas, Montes de Oca and San Jose. According to a news article by Pablo Fonseca of La Nacion, the storm was rare not only due to the intensity, but also because it was a bit later than usual for the green season.
Tracking the Storm and Tallying Strikes
Forecasters of the National Weather Service in the United States estimate the number of lightning occurrences in the world at about 100 per second, although only 20 of them are estimated to hit the ground. The majority are cloud lightnings. The booming ground strikes are estimated at about 1,728,000 per day, which means that the Wednesday evening storm in Costa Rica produced 0.11 percent of the ground strikes in the world.
The figures above come from studies performed with detection devices and satellite optics. The 1.7 million strikes per day are necessary to maintain the electrical balance between the Earth and the atmosphere, according to David Cook of the Argonne National Laboratory.
While it may seem impressive to Ticos that a single storm in Costa Rica could deliver such an astounding amount of ground strikes, residents of the Tampa Bay area in Florida are used to similar electrical and atmospheric events with greater frequency. The proverbial chances of being struck by lightning are much greater in Tampa and Florida in general. In Africa, the Republic of Rwanda is the host of the most ferocious lightning storms in the ancient continent.
Canine Astraphobia
Neighbors in the areas affected by the storms may have heard an increased amount of barking, bawling and howling from the canine population. Thunder-phobic dogs are often the bane of the families they live with, and even if as puppies they do not exhibit such fear, they could develop it later. This condition was brought to notoriety by the 2008 film Marley and Me, which was based on an autobiographical account by journalist John Grogan. Marley was a lovable, yet neurotic, golden retriever with a notorious phobia of thunderstorms that was exacerbated by living in South Florida.
What makes canine astraphobia interesting is a theory by veterinarian Dr. Nicholas Dodman from Tufts University, who posits that the reason some dogs hightail it to the bathroom or kitchen upon hearing thunder is that they may be seeking metal pipes to discharge their static-charged furs. This theory may not hold up well in many homes in Costa Rica, where PVC pipes are prevalent.
In the last few years, a number of herbal and homeopathic remedies to combat fear of thunder in dogs have been discussed. Most of them involve essence and extracts of Cistaceae flowers, also known as rock roses .
Losing your Appliances and Electronics During a Storm
The electricity co-op utility in Heredia was forced to indemnify thirty households in Barrio Fatima after reports of fried home appliances and electronics during the storm. The process that the residents are following consists of getting a sworn technician’s opinion and written report stating that the electrical discharges and surges during the storm were the cause for the loss. The utility’s insurance coverage allows for compensation up to $600 to each household.
Although the atmospheric event is to blame, the electric power utility in Heredia admitted that certain protective measures such as lighting rods and grounding devices were inadequate to shield their infrastructure from strong surges.
The National Power and Light Company and ICE warn that the intensity of thunderstorms may increase later in the rainy season, and thus it is important for households in Costa Rica to ensure that their electrical wiring installations can handle power surges. The main electrical connections and breaker switches are not sufficient. Complementing a protective system with reliable electrical power strips is recommended, as well as unplugging appliances and electronics during storms.