A police officer’s dash camera captured the moment lightning struck a pole off a highway Monday in South Carolina, causing it to erupt into a fireball.
A Mount Pleasant Police Department (MPPD) officer’s dash camera caught the lightning strike around 11:00 a.m., according to the department. The incident caused traffic issues and power outages, No injuries were reported.
The dash cam footage shows the police officer driving near an intersection on Highway 17. A lightning bolt can be seen striking a pole on the left side of the street, causing a bright flash before flames and smoke surround the pole. Powerlines on the other side of the road can be seen emitting sparks moments after.
“A bit too much excitement for a Monday!” the department said in the social media post.
A bit too much excitement for a Monday! The lightning strike caused our power outages and traffic delays. Fortunately, no one was injured, and @DominionEnergy responded quickly, restoring power and removing the downed wires. pic.twitter.com/PyieuiTG1K
— Mount Pleasant PD (@MountPleasantPD) August 11, 2025
The incident caused downed wires along the road and resulted in “widespread power outages,” according to police. (RELATED: ‘Felt Like My Arm Got Blown Off’: Lightning Strikes 15-Year-Old Lifeguard, ‘Orange And Blue’ Surrounds Her Limb)
Officials said over a dozen officers directed traffic across seven intersections for approximately three hours after the lightning strike. Dominion Energy, an electric services company, responded to the scene, quickly taking out downed wires and restoring power to the area.
South Carolina has seen thousands of lightning strikes in recent weeks. From July 28 to Aug. 1, the state recorded 89,328 lightning strikes in total, according to WPDE. On July 29 and July 30, the state saw almost 30,000 strikes each day.
The increase in lightning is due to unstable air and particularly high moisture.
In June, officials responded to Dominion Beach Park in South Carolina and assessed 12 minors and eight adults for injuries, County of Lexington officials said in a Facebook post.
“Twelve individuals were transported to three local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. All patients are expected to recover,” authorities said.