Anyone ever experience a lightning close call?
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,231
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From: Valley of the Sun AZ
1. Was watiching a storm in front of a large window and all of the sudden I head a boom and the lights went out. I was not hit, but I could not see for a while and boy were my ears ringing.
2. While driving and stopped at an intersection a power pole was struck about 20' from me. This would not of been so bad if I had not had the window down and the pole was right next to me.
2. While driving and stopped at an intersection a power pole was struck about 20' from me. This would not of been so bad if I had not had the window down and the pole was right next to me.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 11,314
Likes: 4
When I was about 12 trying to finish my weekly grass cutting before I could go play...
a storm came up and I was just about finished and pushed the mower past the swing set leg to get the last bit...
My Dad was just coming out to tell me to quit when he said he saw the bolt hit the swing set and knock me back about 5 foot....
before he could get off the deck to run to me he said I jumped up like a wild man yelled "I'm fine!" and passed out !!!
Came to in about 2 to 3 minutes and no ill effects - the docs said I obvously didn't get the full charge !!!
I do recall feeling GREAT for about 2 seconds and after I woke up ---- better than caffeine - but I wouldn't want to test that theory again !
(And , yes, that explains why I'm so weird !)
a storm came up and I was just about finished and pushed the mower past the swing set leg to get the last bit...
My Dad was just coming out to tell me to quit when he said he saw the bolt hit the swing set and knock me back about 5 foot....
before he could get off the deck to run to me he said I jumped up like a wild man yelled "I'm fine!" and passed out !!!
Came to in about 2 to 3 minutes and no ill effects - the docs said I obvously didn't get the full charge !!!
I do recall feeling GREAT for about 2 seconds and after I woke up ---- better than caffeine - but I wouldn't want to test that theory again !
(And , yes, that explains why I'm so weird !)
Last edited by jdadamsjr; Jul 13, 2004 at 08:52 AM.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 2,484
Likes: 7
From: New Egypt, New Jersey
Wow!
I'm amazed to hear how many others have come close, or even been hit! I don't know why, but I had always thought this was a rare thing.
You always hear weather warnings which refer to "dangerous lightning". I will not be taking them lightly anymore!
I'm glad to hear that none of you were seriously injured! Thanks for sharing, and please stay safe.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,146
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From: Colorado
Close enough to have the hair on my body stand on end just before the lightning hit about 100 yards away. No shock for me, but my ex wife said her feet got very very hot at the time. None of us had any marks, other than skid.....
If I remember correctly, eastern Colorado is both the lightning AND hail capital of the U.S. I can attest to the hail issue, having been in 2 storms with hail the size of baseballs to softballs. Makes your cars and trucks look all funny! Latest hit was about 3 weeks ago with golf ball sized hail, did about $3k damage to my 03 F150. Insurance wants to replace the hood and the top, paint the front end, blah blah blah.
If I remember correctly, eastern Colorado is both the lightning AND hail capital of the U.S. I can attest to the hail issue, having been in 2 storms with hail the size of baseballs to softballs. Makes your cars and trucks look all funny! Latest hit was about 3 weeks ago with golf ball sized hail, did about $3k damage to my 03 F150. Insurance wants to replace the hood and the top, paint the front end, blah blah blah.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 11,314
Likes: 4
Originally Posted by Kenny
Wow!
I'm amazed to hear how many others have come close, or even been hit! I don't know why, but I had always thought this was a rare thing.
You always hear weather warnings which refer to "dangerous lightning". I will not be taking them lightly anymore!
I'm glad to hear that none of you were seriously injured! Thanks for sharing, and please stay safe.
on edit after looking at the bottonm of the first forum page - 207,611 members and 1.7 million posts !
Last edited by jdadamsjr; Jul 13, 2004 at 11:33 PM.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
Likes: 22
From: The Big, Oregon
I was in a house in August, ME that got hit back in 96. It actually hit the power line across the street, shot off that, went between the house I was in and the neighbors, and hit a tree across the river. We found out the next day that a stray spark had hit the copper sewer stack sticking up out of the roof, then arced to the heater line in the third floor apartment. We couldn't figure out why the ceiling was still dripping two day after the storm ended. Gotta love automatically filling hot water heat systems.
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Elder User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 559
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From: Rosebud
When I was about 12 I was helping my dad build our house and we had an old refridgerator setting outside we put the power tools in to keep them dry.Storm came up and just as I put the tools up and shut the door and turned to walk away lightning hit the fridg and knocked me face-first into the mud.I look back and it had blew the doors open and smoke was rolling off it!
5th Wheeling
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 34
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From: Fort Myers, FL
In SW FL we have at least 1 every year. Some of these strikes are not direct, the flash over can do a good job on you as well. Personally ran 2 calls on indirect hits, and 1 on a direct hit. Saved 2 out 3. Odds are not in your favor.
We just had a man hit on the golf course last month. In through the left arm out through the legs.
We just had a man hit on the golf course last month. In through the left arm out through the legs.
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,306
Likes: 0
From: Bryan/College Station
Back in 93 while going to school at UTI in Houston, I was filling a peterbuilt with trailer from the diesel tank when lightning hit the Mack dumptruck next in line.
Never been so scared before. I was nauseus for the rest of the day.
I never fueled trucks there again, told the boss no way.
Chris
Never been so scared before. I was nauseus for the rest of the day.I never fueled trucks there again, told the boss no way.
Chris
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2003
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About 2 weeks ago, over at the garage. Storm rolls in. We just closed the overhead doors, and kicked on the lights. BOOM, I see sparks flying all around the ceiling in one corner, and it got dark real quick. I dunno what got hit, but every last one of us jumped about a foot in the air. 
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,205
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From: Vancouver WA
I was just talking to my parents about this yesterday. It turns out my great-grandmother's first husband (before she married my great-grandfather) was killed by lightning. Went to the barn to feed the cows and never came back in.
