On Thu, 19 May 2016 14:10:16 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote:

On Thursday, May 19, 2016 at 4:28:49 PM UTC-4, Tekkie® wrote:
trader_4 posted for all of us...


Below grade is obviously safer, it can't get a direct hit from lightning
like overhead wired going to a house.


Tell that to my neighbor...

--
Tekkie

Tell us more. Where and how did this direct hit to an underground
service take place?

The lightning lab at UCF in conjunction with Florida Power and Light
have done a lot testing with lightning and they have some great
Fulgurites that showed lightning penetrating 2 meters or more
underground. Safer underground? certainly but if it is a wide open
spot with nothing but sand for it to hit, that cable down there 4 or 5
feet may be pretty attractive to a bolt.

BTW in my inspecting career, the most robust lightning protection I
have ever seen in a building is for a toll booth at MM99 on I-75. It
is the only decent target for miles around, The array was more than
they put in the ground for the radio towers that are along the
highway.