How close has lightning come to hitting you?

[Turtle]

You know what to do. :lightning

/forums/images/smilies/banana_sign.gif

 

Rather than post stories you have here, please go to the thread on lightning:

Lightning Thread 124468

[Queso]

Here in Florida I've seen it about 100 meters away,

and my god was it LOUD!

it slapped the ground and bounced back into the sky with frequencies all the way down to 0!

 

I'm not worried, there's so much more to hit than me..

[infamous]

As a young man fresh out of the military, I got a job laying drainage tile for a construction company. One afternoon, about 2:00 PM or so, we were just finishing up a section when a thunderstorm rolled in. I had just climbed out of the ditch when lightning struck about 8 feet from where I was standing. We had positioned the back-hoe in this spot and the lightning struck it and then made it's way across the surface of the ground between it and the ditch. I watched in horror as the lightning traversed from the back-hoe into the ditch no more that a few feet from where I was standing. Needless to say, we all got out of there in one hell of a hurry.........................Infy

[Queso]

damn!

[Jay-qu]

Im glad no-one has selected the "I have been struck by lightning" it couldnt be nearly as fun as it sounds :eek2:

[Mercedes Benzene]

I was at my friend's house after school a couple years ago...

And all of a sudden this HUGE storm (one of the biggest/strongest I've seen in my life) started. I later found out a tornado went through our neigborhood, and condemned 2 houses. [something like 10 million dollars worth of damages were sustained in those houses alone.]

Anyway, lightning struck very near to my friends house. I think about 5 car alarms went off in the general area. That's the closest I ever was to lightning. I would say that it was no further than 200 meters. :eek2:

[Jay-qu]

I later found out a tornado went through our neigborhood, and condemned 2 houses. [something like 10 million dollars worth of damages were sustained in those houses alone.]

They must have been 2 pretty well decked out houses!

[ronthepon]

Lightning strikes the top of the building I live in... every time there is heavy rain.

[Mercedes Benzene]

They must have been 2 pretty well decked out houses!

Well. Figure 3.5 million each for each house itself. Then split the remaining 3 million between the two for furnishings/cars and other goodies.

 

Anyway, here's another good lightning story. I was on vacation in Florida, and apparently it storms there everyday :shrug:. Anyway, we were driving along a road running parallel to a field. All of a sudden, something like 4 bolts of lightning shot down into the field, fairly close to each other. It reminded me of the movie "War of the Worlds". But it was pretty cool.

We weren't very close to the lightning... but it was certainly a magnificent sight!

[ronthepon]

Anyway, here's another good lightning story. I was on vacation in Florida, and apparently it storms there everyday . Anyway, we were driving along a road running parallel to a field. All of a sudden, something like 4 bolts of lightning shot down into the field, fairly close to each other. It reminded me of the movie "War of the Worlds". But it was pretty cool.

We weren't very close to the lightning... but it was certainly a magnificent sight!

 

...and you were looking at the right time at the right moment...

[Mercedes Benzene]

...and you were looking at the right time at the right moment...

Huh?:shrug:

[ronthepon]

Huh?:shrug:

Nothing, it's just that to actually see the lightning strike you must be looking in the direction before it strikes.

 

So in a way you were really lucky to have seen it.

 

(And it's not irrational to be sceptical okay? Just kidding)

[Mercedes Benzene]

Nothing, it's just that to actually see the lightning strike you must be looking in the direction before it strikes.

 

Well, I was in the middle of nowhere. I guess you've never been to central Florida. :eek2: There was nothing else to look at other than the field.... and the cows that were undoubtedly scared out of their minds when the lightning struck. :shrug:

[Loricybin]

i'd estimate it was something like 50-100 feet.

at a back to school night in first grade, this HUGE tree got struck, and part of it fell off and damaged a parent's car.

[HydrogenBond]

Years ago I was running and was still about 2 miles from home when a sudden thunderstorm appeared. When it began to hail, I ran under a big 100+ year old tree, because the hail was starting to hurt and a big lateral branch and the wide tree trunk offered protection. About a minute later lightning struck the tree about 20 feet away. I decided the hail was less a risk and went back into the hailstorm. If I had thought about it, instead of leaping with the thunder's starting gun, the tree was probally now safe since the odds of it getting hit a second time were very slim. Running in the open made me statistically more vulnerable. It was exciting running through the puddles with the storm all around.

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

Technically I wasn't hit directly but the steel fence post that I was putting into the ground was (WHILE I STILL HOLDING IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). (incidently I didn't fair so well nor did it... that s#i+ hurt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!alot!!!!!!!!)