Community Chat

[MyGirlsMom]

Lightening

A 25 year old woman was killed this evening in Fanwood, NJ by a lightening strike.

[chickenbutt]

The idea of getting hit by lightening is kind of scary for sure!     If somebody is going to get hit by lightening, it's going to be somebody with my kind of luck, so I try to steer clear.  

Thunder doesn't bother me at all.   Oh wow, but one year we had these thunder events that were almost shocking!     It was so loud and crashing one day, over and over, that it was like the world was ending or something.   That was such an anomaly, but it was kind of exciting in a weird way.

But generally we don't get too much of either and it's usually pretty benign.

[stevieb]

It's the thunder that startles the heck out of me, but it's the lightening that freaks me out since it's what does damage.

[SilleeMee]

My lightning story...

Two of my friends and I were hiking up a mountain trail one sunny afternoon. We were located above the tree line, no trees or shrubs, just boulders and us. 

The weather was fine when we started but then turned nasty in a split second. The wind kicked up and the sky got very dark and scary looking. No rain, just wind. Then I could smell the electricity in the air...ozone. Our hair stood on end above our heads.

We all got very scared and worried we would get struck by lightning because we were the tallest  things on that mountain! We all threw off our backpacks and layed on the ground. 

Suddenly a big bright flash appeared on the ground between us. We all screamed but not a sound was heard. We were in a vacuum at the moment of the strike and could not hear a thing. Weird as could be! 

Our bodies felt weird as we lay there scared out of out minds. Several minutes had passed until the storm had blown over us. It was all very frightening! 

[itiswhatitis]

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@MyGirlsMom wrote:

Lightening

A 25 year old woman was killed this evening in Fanwood, NJ by a lightening strike.

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Doesn't sound so much like it's rare.  OMG.  I dislike the Summer for its bugs and ligtning.  

[Plaid Pants2]

Neither scares me.

In fact, I love thunderstorms!

When there is a thunderstorm, to calculate the distance of the storm, as soon as you see the flash of lightning, count the seconds until you hear the thunder.

Every five seconds = 1 mile

because light travels faster than sound.

Also, lightning causes thunder.

The heat of lightning, which is hotter than the surface of the sun, causes the surrounding air to explode, and that's the thunder that you hear.

Cars act like a Farraday cage.

The electricity goes to ground because of the surounding metal.

Also, airplanes also act like a Ferraday cage, because airplanes have been struck by lightning, while in flight, with nobody on board hurt, or even aware that the plane had been hit by lightning.

[Plaid Pants2]

[AKgirl2]

The big boomer thunder that happens one after another with the initial immense loud crack and then the low rumble is pretty unnerving.  Got to say that lightning is the one that freaks me out⚡️🙉😱. I lived in the high desert both in UT and AZ, and have been through some intense thunder and lightening storms.  I remember washing something at the kitchen sink one evening while a storm was brewing (just windy at this point).  Out of nowhere came a flash of lightening which hit my neighbors yard that I definitely felt a shock go through my whole body.😳  I've only heard very mild thunder once since moving here 1 1/2 yrs ago which I find weird.  I've told people I know it's like living on another planet.  Gotta say, I'll take lightening anytime if I didn't have to experience even the mildest earthquake...

[ROMARY]

Lightening is more dangerous, imo.  I just thought of something (again, lol):  If we are lying on a metal framed futon or daybed, can the lightening electricity 'shock' (or worse) us? 

[Goldengate8361]

Neither one scares me. I rather like them!