Lightning Struck a House Near Us!!

[Minnie824]

So, yesterday it was raining a little bit...not a thunderstorm or anything, and we were driving home. We saw one lightning a little ways away...no big deal. We pull into garage, I was standing looking out at rain, (very little rain) showing DD. DH was about to go into the house, then all of a sudden, the thunder/lightning sound was SOOOO loud that it scared the $#!* out of me! I took DD and all 3 of us went inside....looked out all the windows and then finally noticed a house in our neighborhood, right near us, had their chimney struck. There were bricks everywhere, and it was cracked halfway down. Luckily everyone was ok, and there was no fire, but oh my gosh! It was even a bad storm. That was so scary.

 

[Serena]

I bet it was. I'm glad no one was hurt.

 

[ltldeb]

That does sound scary. I'm glad you and your family were indoors when the bricks were flying.

 

[Sheree Bobbins]

I've been in my house when lightening struck the neighbour's tree. What an almighty loud sound that was, I know what you mean. Pieces of tree were found driven through fences and such.

 

[Geoff_M]

You know you're close when you hear the "hiss" before the strike. I was inside a building at camp one year during a thunderstrom. All the windows were open (there were good overhangs) and all of the sudden I hear "Hiiiiiiisssssss.... BANG!!!!!" It must have stuck a tree nearby, but we couldn't find any damage. The hissing sound is caused by the "stepped leader" that reaches up from the ground until it mets a downward charge that triggers the lightning stroke. If you're out in the open and hear a "hissing" sound, odds are you're in big trouble.