Have you ever been struck by lightning?

[rareboy]

When I was about 10, our house was struck by lightning...blew our chimney about a block away.

When we bought our farm, we were struck:

- 2 cattle killed on the upper east field 1992
- 10 cattle killed in the back barnyard 1996
- direct hit to the maple beside the house that melted down every electronic board in the house. 1998
- direct hit to the upper barnyard that came through our water line and melted or telephone and hydronic heat pump wiring.2008
- lightning through the window while I was shutting it that fortunately grounded through house but knocked me across the room.2010
- lightning strike through my keyboard that knocked me off my chair.2010

The craziest part was that my mother was TERRIFIED of lightning and shut off and unplugged everything at the beginning of a storm.

Do you think she knew I was a lightning rod?

And have you ever been struck?

 

[cityboy-stl]

My great-grandfather was killed by lightning when he was 27.

I am still waiting to win the lottery.

 

[unloadonme]

No, never.

 

[Charon]

Nope...

 

[Vannie]

No.

As a kid in the 70's our backyard backed up to a beautiful farm lined with some huge oak trees. My Dad helped me and my friends build a substantial tree house that was our fort from the bad guys.

A real bad storm came through one night and split the tree and house in two.

Seen the lightning bolt come down that created a fire ball and scared the bejeezus out of me watching from a window that was maybe only 30 feet away.

Nature can be spectacular.

 

[m1thousand]

On Let's Make A Deal, there was a game about 'which is highest' and a person was struck by lightning 7 times

 

[Rickrock]

Fortunately no, never been struck.

 

[72-Jay]

Years ago a tree in the frontyard of the house across the street got struck. It survived the initial strike but died a couple years later (likely was internally damaged and/or bugs got in where some of the bark was knocked off)

As for me, no havent. I've seen/heard it strike close enough to hear the 'zap' a split second before a huge boom of thunder more than once.

---------
Oh and:
Thunderstorms are meant to be watched (plus pictured/videoed/etc)...as long as its not raining I'll go sit up on the roof & watch 'em, likely with camera in hand. (and no I'm not the highest object around)
Tornadic Thunderstorms should be hunted down & videoed..no hiding in the basement! .lol.
And Hurricanes...those should probably be videoed too, especially right in the eyewall!

 

[ShadowCat]

No but there are times I wish I was Storm from the Xmen

 

[nycguydowntown]

maybe farms are more vulnerable being so level? My aunts home was stuck when I was a kid---a large pine tree was stuck in my front yard--ripped large section of bark off---energy traveled underground and knocked art off my dinning room wall.

 

[Vannie]

maybe farms are more vulnerable being so level? My aunts home was stuck when I was a kid---a large pine tree was stuck in my front yard--ripped large section of bark off---energy traveled underground and knocked art off my dinning room wall.

Our town had planted beautiful maple trees that lined both sides of the street. They prune them upward into the shape of a champagne glass and light them with twinkle lights for the Holidays. They look awesome until lightning got a few of them.

It always seems to be those storms with straight line winds and a lightning show.

I dont like them.

 

[eddielee]

Twice. Once standing next to the grounding line for the lightening rod to our house. The lightning struck the rod, ran down the grounding wire and some of it hit me. The other time I was leaning on a metal sink in the house when lightning struck in the yard and ran down the water pipes and to the metal sink. I remember a flash of light, a feeling that my scalp was being blown off, then coming to on the floor.

 

[voltronforce]

When I was 12 I went on a huge family vacation in Eastern Oregon camping and me and my cousins were out exploring the river that goes to a lake and a storm was coming and we started running back to to camp and went I was walking through the shallow river, bam, lighting struck me, my hair got a little crispy.

 

[opinterph]

A pine tree located about 50 feet (15 meters) from the house was struck during a heavy thunderstorm a few years back. It killed phone and Internet for the 3 nearest houses, requiring new lines to be run. It also fried the motherboard for my HVAC system. My computers, TV, etc. are situated behind power backup batteries and did not sustain any damage. A strip of bark a few inches wide was instantly unzipped from the trunk of the tree all the way from the top to the ground. It lay at the base of the tree as though a giant had peeled it off and left it there on the ground.

 

[cabinfever]

I don't ever remember seeing lightning except the kind that just lit up the dark clouds but no bolts - so no - never been hit with lightning

 

[MusicMan321]

No but I've seen it and heard it very loud

 

[NotHardUp1]

I was never struck, but saw thunderbolts strike close by, and remember incredible storms striking trees right at our house many times as a child. It really made my mother nervous but we just enjoyed the drama.

The two and a half years that I lived in Anchorage, I really missed lightning. And crickets.

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

No but there are times I wish I was Storm from the Xmen

I'm Storm you can be Jubilee

And lighting knows better than to strike me, lightning is scared of me.

 

[PrinceCory]

And have you ever been struck?

Several years ago a friend was using my landline corded phone during a lightening storm. Lightening struck the alleyway behind my house. That would also be near the telephone company's alley pedestal box. The electrical pulse when thru the phone line and shocked her hand and arm. They were numb for a few minutes. It also damaged my phone she was using as well as my dial-up modem for my computer, a TV, and a microwave oven. The damage to the TV and microwave didn't show up for a few weeks.

 

[Thad1527]

I'm a fan of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Stanley Cup Champions 2004, 2020, 2021. Does that count?

I'm fascinated by your stories. Thanks for sharing!

This song is somewhat appropriate. I love it..."that's how I live my life."