How a Tree Lightning Protection System Works During a thunderstorm, negative charges of electrical energy build up in the lower parts of clouds hovering close to earth.  Conversely, positive charges develop in the ground, directly underneath the cloud.  Lightning occurs when the dry air between the cloud and the ground is moistened by rain or high humidity.  Lightning strikes start downward in 150-foot intervals. In a lightning protection system, the positive ground charge is attracted upward through the conducting cables attached to the tree.  When the negative downward stroke from the cloud is about 150 feet above the top of the protected tree, the positive ground charge leaps upward to meet the lightning bolt. The two opposite charges are neutralized emptying the negative charges from the cloud and dissipating the ground charge.  This all occurs in about 1/5000 of a second.  The discharge has now been completed and the negative cloud charge and positive ground charge becomes zero. We have designed and installed lightning protection systems for hundreds of local trees.  All of our systems are designed in accordance with tree-specific Codes.  Since our South Carolina coast lies within the second most lightning prone zone in all of the United States, professional lightning protection is a critical component of feature tree preservation here in the Low Country. Contact us for more information on lightning protecting your valuable trees.