A dramatic lightning strike in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, lit up the sky and caused a massive fireball above a busy highway on Monday, August 11, and the incident was caught on a police dashcam. The Mount Pleasant Police Department shared the viral footage on social media, showing the split-second moment when lightning hit a Dominion Energy power line during heavy rain along Highway 17.
In the video, an officer’s cruiser can be seen travelling down the rain-soaked highway as dark clouds hang overhead. Traffic crawls along due to the storm, when suddenly a blinding bolt of lightning strikes a utility pole just off the left side of the road. The powerful surge causes the transformer to explode, sending a huge fireball into the sky beside oncoming traffic.
Sparks shoot from a pole on the opposite side of the road, while the eerie blue glow of electrical discharge races down the lines. The strike was so intense it even knocked out a nearby streetlight on the other side of the highway.
WOW! Look at this lightning strike that took out power and caused traffic delays in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, today!pic.twitter.com/uAyatA9rfL
— Max Velocity (@MaxVelocityWX) August 11, 2025
The strike also caused widespread power outages in the area. Dominion Energy responded quickly, restoring service and removing the downed lines. “Fortunately, no one was injured, and Dominion Energy responded quickly,” the police department wrote in a statement.
The department’s post, which included the caption “A bit too much excitement for a Monday!” quickly went viral, with viewers stunned by the raw power of nature and the lucky escape for drivers nearby. The dashcam video shows the moment the explosion lit up the entire area before fading, followed by smoke rising from the utility pole. Some residents reported hearing the boom from several blocks away, describing it as sounding like “a cannon going off.” Others said they had never seen a lightning strike that close.
Police confirmed that normal traffic flow resumed later in the day once repairs were completed. The viral footage now serves as both a jaw-dropping display of nature’s force and a timely reminder of lightning safety.