A dramatic lightning strike in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, turned a Monday morning commute into chaos when a bolt exploded an electrical transformer along Highway 17, sending a tower of flames and thick black smoke into the sky.
Dashcam footage from a police cruiser captured the moment torrential rain and high winds were suddenly lit by a blinding flash. The strike detonated the transformer, igniting a raging fire and causing blue electrical explosions as nearby power lines overloaded and sparks showered onto the roadway.
In seconds, day turned to night as smoke blanketed the area. Traffic lights failed instantly and stayed out for three hours, forcing over a dozen officers to direct traffic at seven intersections.
Mount Pleasant Police confirmed no injuries, and Dominion Energy crews worked quickly to restore power and clear the fallen wires. “A bit too much excitement for a Monday!” the department posted.
Adding to the tension, forecasters warned that Tropical Storm Erin, which formed Monday in the eastern Atlantic, could become the season’s first hurricane by the end of the week.
By Monday afternoon, Erin was 430 miles west-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands with 45 mph winds, moving west at 20 mph. While no coastal warnings are in place yet, meteorologists caution Erin could intensify to a Category 3 hurricane by August 16, bringing dangerous rip currents from Florida to New England — even if it stays offshore.
Beachgoers are urged to stay in lifeguard-supervised areas, and East Coast residents, from North Carolina’s Outer Banks to Cape Cod, are advised to monitor the storm’s path closely.
