Downstrike

Seventeen hundred downstrikes of lightning later, destruction reigns over southwest Oregon.

Lightning downstrikes became visible as it crossed Beekman Ridge south of Butte Falls.

These storms typically arrive in the afternoon, building incredible cloud banks that can unleash rapid-fire lightning strikes. Cells often will hover and send forth dozens of downstrikes in a concentrated area, particularly in areas like the Valle Caldera.

Besides forming new cores, arcs may also form branches, and "downstrikes" are liable to be particularly troublesome.

When a downstrike is established, the longer arc in parallel dies away rapidly and the process appears on oscillograms as a sudden reduction in arc voltage.

This was prevented by reducing the space between the plates in that portion of the chute, so that when downstrikes occurred tie new arc core remained under control and returned up into the chute again.

These "downstrikes" were recorded with an electromagnetic oscillograph and a high-speed camera, and now a good correlation exists between the two records.

Attacker executes a downstrike. Defender performs a two-hand catch, blocks, rotates through and performs an elbow-break with accompanying shoulder dislocation.