Glad to be alive.........

[jimmytammy]

Yesterday I had quite a scare. I work in construction with mine and my fathers business. We were installing some windows and it was very hot. My brother and I were on seperate aluminum ladders doing our work when outta nowhere, KA-BOOOOOM, a streak of lightning hits across the road from us in a cemetary.

I saw this huge blue flash the size of the house we were working on. And the noise was deafening. It was so loud that my ear that was most exposed to the sound rang for a few minutes after. If you have ever been to a civil war re-enactment and heard 3 cannons going off at one time, that was how loud it was.

Scared me to death. Folks working at the cemetary said it caught the ground on fire. How it did that Im not sure.

This was the only streak of lightning in that whole area and it gave no warning. I talked with folks who live several miles away who said they heard it. My DW and kids were at the pool which is approx. 4 miles away. They said they saw the streak and heard the noise. But there was no thunder that preceded. Very strange.

Once I had collected my thoughts I realized God had spared mine and my brothers lives and I thanked Him for that.

I am only writing this to warn others. I didnt see it coming. But if I do again, you can bet I will be taking cover for sure.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

Glad you're okay. We've been having awful lightening storms in Greensboro. It seems like everyday for several weeks now.

Lori

 

[onecoolmama]

Glad you are ok!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Wow, Jimmy, what a story!!!!!! Glad you both are okay, as well as the others there. Yikes!!!!!!

 

[KathyTX]

Jimmy!! That would have scared the LIFE out of me! I'll bet you almost fell off that ladder.

I'm so glad that no one was hurt... that you and your brother and Tammy and the kids are all okay.

 

[Stepharoonie!]

 

[jimmytammy]

Thanks for all the kind words. As my tile guy tells me when I ask how he is doing, "Im just happy to see the top side of the grass this morning." A little construction humor

 

[nana2tots]

Same kind of weather out in the Colfax area!!!!!!Tired of rain. nana2tots

 

[dianeschlicht]

Pretty scary! We have had lots of rain here this year too. BTW, Jimmy, do you know if we need to have any kind of lightening arrester on our very tall steel roof? We figure the new log home is a sitting duck for drawing lightening strikes!

 

[jimmytammy]

Diane

It wouldnt hurt. Im not sure if there is any sure-fire cure to keep a lightning strike prevented, but anything that can help is worth it. That is one thing I have seen in bldg. codes, grounded electrical that they have not gone overboard with.

 

[Lorix2]

How scary for sure! I'm glad you're all okay.

 

[FroggyinArk]

Glad it missed ya too Jimmy, That s one reason we have switched to all fiberglass ladders on our jobs now, and i agree with you on the codes,, they are overboard ,, except for what i have seen in electrical. the ones that get me is the gas codes,, those change every week... i was on Job once that the inspector passed on wed, failed on Thursday and passed again on Friday because of one stretch of piping.. he was looking at a piece of old fire sprinkler line that was no longer in use, we just hadn't taken time to un hang it yet, He thought it was a gas segment and they were planning to union it in..lol.. Have you checked to see if the strike glassed the soil in the cemetery? you k now lightening will turn sand in soil to glass if its a direct hit, i would check and see, and ask if i could dig it up if it did and then refill hole for them. would make a really neat souvenir