Crapper Jim Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 We've all witnessed a close lightning strike. If I'd been struck... it would explain a lot about me. But, I haven't. No excuses. Any of you from the SE had experiences? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackerel_sky Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 I've been struck by white lightning, quite a few times! Does that count? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crapper Jim Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 I've been struck by white lightning, quite a few times! Does that count? Absolutely! ... If you woke in the morn with wet jeans and no recollection of the previous day. If you wondered if you had a "homo episode" that night - and still can't remember... 'double points!' Not much ta do with weather, Mack. Let's keep it "on line". <Looking for thread material... not the fast life Mack lives and dreams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crapper Jim Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltK5c60nBHQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco-lemonade Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 My grandma's house got struck, when I was maybe about 10. Totally blew out an upstairs bed room, caught the place on fire, made a hole id say two and a half feet maybe three in diameter. The sound was like every pot and pan in your kitchen slamming together multiplied by 100. If anyone was in that bed room, I have no doubt they would have been killed. Haha in reference to an early topic, it was the second defining moment that made me a weather fanatic. After that I started paying a lot of attention to it. It is also the reason I am scared to death of lightening. The fire was small, and put out with a garden hose haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downeastnc Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 One afternoon a bunch of us kids where playing wiffle ball in the backyard and a storm came up, so we all went under the open carport waiting for it to pass. At some point in the storm my friend said what is up with your hair, I turned around and his hair was standing straight up as was everyone elses and then there was a flash and lightning hit real close. We never could figure out where though it didn't hit the house or the shed so it either hit along the fence or the truck beside the carport both where within 15-20 ft of us. I also had what I call a near miss, me and several friends were skiing on the river and a storm came up, we got back to the ramp and I ran up to get the trailer backed down. My buddy's Jeep Cherokee driver window was about a third of the way down so I stuck my hand through it to unlock the door and at that time lightning struck a light pole about 30 ft away. I don't know what happened next but somehow the bolt jumped to the truck and I got a huge shock as my finger was on the electric door release switch. My entire arm went numb from the shoulder down for a solid hour and when the feeling came back it was like really bad pin and needles to the point it was painful. The CD player and several other switches in his truck also quit working. I am still not sure what exactly happened and I don't recall ever hearing thunder then or in the previous strike under the carport, although in the one at the river my friends did hear the thunder ( they were maybe 50 yrds away ) and said it was a like a ripping sound not a loud bang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crapper Jim Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 Closest strikes I've had? Living .5 miles west of Haywood Road, Greenville, SC. Haywood was on a rise about 100 ft. higher. Seemed all the bolts were striking Haywood Mall. My new wife from the UK loved it!!! When I was about 3 yrs. - I remember an Oak getting "split" 10' from our dwelling. That - was the talk of the neighborhood for days. I recall because all the hippies did a concert next day. My Uncle Donnie didn't mind taking me to the woods to pee. He was cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crapper Jim Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 My grandma's house got struck, when I was maybe about 10. Totally blew out an upstairs bed room, caught the place on fire, made a hole id say two and a half feet maybe three in diameter. The sound was like every pot and pan in your kitchen slamming together multiplied by 100. If anyone was in that bed room, I have no doubt they would have been killed. Haha in reference to an early topic, it was the second defining moment that made me a weather fanatic. After that I started paying a lot of attention to it. It is also the reason I am scared to death of lightening. The fire was small, and put out with a garden hose haha. I suppose at age 3... that tree split by lightning was molding my appreciation for the "power of weather". Someone said... "I can't remember when I was not a weather fanatic." Honestly... I can't, either. BTW - I don't fear weather. I fear 100-lb. Collies that fear Thunderstorms! Another story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAD_Wedge_NC Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 I was an early teen at the time, so this must have been in the late 70's. The houses in those days didn't have all the grounding that's required today. My father and I were standing side by side watching the storm through a screen door which lead out to a covered porch. I had my hand on one of those cabinet-type water heaters and he was leaning on the electric stove. It was in July so we weren't wearing shirts and my shoulder was against his side. Lightning struck the transformer that fed the power line coming into the house and we got quite a jolt when a portion of the strike found a path to ground from the stove, through us, and eventually into the old galvanized pipe that fed the water heater. It was enough that we both stumbled backwards. I have been asked, "what did it feel like?" The best way I can describe it.... it felt like coming in contact with 240 volts. Enough to make the muscles in my chest and arm contract. Good thing it only lasted for a split second. The next door neighbor's electrical service was from the same transformer and that close strike set their house on fire. The fire department responded quickly and was able to put the fire out quickly and save the house. Ever since that day, I have had a healthy respect for what lightning can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crapper Jim Posted April 23, 2014 Author Share Posted April 23, 2014 Do any of you believe the stories about people being struck by lightning multiple times? Park Rangers, typically. I remember the once famous golfer, Lee Trivino, talking 'bout the time he got struck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackerel_sky Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Do any of you believe the stories about people being struck by lightning multiple times? Park Rangers, typically. I remember the once famous golfer, Lee Trivino, talking 'bout the time he got struck. That guy at the store in the John Candy movie" the great outdoors!!! Suck my wake!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormsfury Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Park ranger Roy Sullivan was reportedly hit 8 times. I've had several close calls including last year when a rogue hit less than 100 yards from me on my way to work. But the closest strike occurred in the 90's when a bolt hit a tree across the street and travelled through the root system. The resultant discharge blew out my right shoe out and sent me airborne backwards. The blast was like someone snapping a bullwhip by my ear and I couldn't hear from it for a couple of hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Met1985 Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 My papaw was struck 3 times when he was younger. Had some dizzy problems after that and light headedness but he is 83 years old know and doing fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion_NC_WX Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 I was real young but remembered our neighbor's house taking a lightning strike. It caused a fire in the attic. The one time lightning truly scared me was on a hunting trip in Greene County TN...our cabin was located on the edge of the property that was surrounded by an electric fence. That lightning was dancing overhead for about an hour and each strike you would hear a ringing sound coming from that electric fence. It was taking hits so bad much you could literally smell it, like something burning off that fence, to the point it made me sick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isopycnic Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Going for a walk one night after a storm on LI a random bolt hit a electrical transformer on a pole about 40' in front of us.Also, a few years back I was camping in a tent at a the Shakori music festival. There were bolts dropping all around where we were at. The ground started to feel "tingly" and a few seconds later a bolt originated from somewhere very close by. Luckily no one was hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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