. >> reporter: sheena easterday was driving through a severe thunderstorm in st.sburg florida, when all of a sudden her car shook. >> i kept hitting the locks but it wouldn't work. the car was smoky from the air bags i guess. makes me not want to drive in the rain ever again. >> reporter: a lightning bolt struck in front of the car. you can see the jarring force the lightning strike can have on a moving vehicle. look as this pickup is jolted after taking a direct hit. cars are designed to divert lightning around the shell of the car and down to the ground. while many think that rubber car tires protect against lightning strikes, experts say it is a myth. lightning can melt electrical systems and in some cases cause the car to burst in to flames and they say it is one of many. lightning is unpredictable and can strike a bolt through conventional wisdom. i saw the power of lightning firsthand. covering storms in alabama. >> this is the same storm in tuscaloosa. >> lightning does not strike only when it is raining. it can strike quite far from the storm. lightning ca

. >> reporter: sheena easterday, driving in her car, hit by a bolt of lightning while on the road. >> airbags just went off. it was like a white, bright light, blinding light. >> reporter: she walked away without a scratch. her car, not so much. it happens more often than you think. watch again. that lightning strike, caught on dash cam in biloxi, mississippi. this is the same storm that was in tuscaloosa. and i saw the power of lightning first hand, covering storms in alabama. cars are designed to divert lightning around the shell of the car and down to the ground. and while many think rubber car tires protect against lightning strikes, experts say that's just a myth. lightning can melt electrical systems, and in some cases, cause the car to burst into flames. so, how do you protect yourself? experts told us, first, pull over on the side of the road and wait the storm out. second, don't touch the radio or other electronics while in the car. and third, if you can get in a building, do so. gio benitez, abc news, new york. >>> when we come back here tonight, the young actress, the hunt

. >> sheena easterday driving in her car hit by a bolt of lightning on the road. >> i was doing 45 anden my air bags just went out. >> it was like a bright white blinding light. >> reporter: she walked away without a scratch. her car not so much. it happens more often than you think. watch again, that strike caught on dashcam in biloxi, mississippi, this is the same storm in tuscaloosa. i saw the power of lightning firsthand covering storms in alabama. cars are designed to divert lightning around the shell of the car and down to the ground. while many think rubber tires protect against strikes, experts say that's just a myth. lightning can melt electrical systems and in some cases cause the car to burst into flames. so how do you protect yourself? experts told us first pull over on the side of the road and wait the storm out. second, don't touch radio or electronics while in the car. third if you can get in a building, do so. gio benitez, abc news new york. >>> coming up here next. caitlyn jenner getting a show of her own. we've got the first look. >> steven colbert shares with us how