Did you know that there are around 100 lightning strikes per second hitting the Earth...??? Each bolt can contain, on average, 1,000,000,000,000 (that's trillion) volts of electricity... During a storm, rain (or ice or snow) increases an imbalance between positive and negative charges... and when the imbalance becomes great enough, lightning is generated...
On average, 80 people in the United States die annually from lightning strikes.
A photo of lightning generated within a tornado...
A photo of lightning being generated within a volcanic eruption plume...
Lightning strike video...
Me!!!
In Spring, 2009, I was helping my brothers set up a computer system at the family-owned scrap metal business. We had designated one computer to be a server and was using it to send/retrieve info from other computers set up around the yard.
This one Friday morning, I was trying to set up some connections on the computer in our non-ferrous metals warehouse... and when I tried to operate the system, something just wasn't 'clicking'... So I told my brother that I was going to run over to the main office and set some settings on the server... and that I would be right back...
I guess it would help if I mentioned that there was a rather severe thunderstorm taking place at the time...
There was some thunder... some lightning... and although loud, it didn't seem THAT close...
I stepped outside... and all I can really remember was that EVERYTHING got an intense blue... and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground coming to...
I was dazed... I was confused... it took me a moment to realize where I was... I got up and walked back into the warehouse... and my brother, John came up to me and said... "Did you see THAT lightning strike!?!?!?! I don't know where it hit but it must have been close!!! Man, the entire warehouse turned blue!"
Needless to say, my version was a bit more scary than his version...
I'm confident it wasn't a direct strike, but it knocked me down... and out... for a short time... for several days, I had difficulty thinking things through... the most simple things, I would have to stop and think about...
This is definitely NOT me!!
I wouldn't have a mullet!!!
I definitely have greater respect for lightning than I ever used to!
~shoes~
hey Ive been stuck here all day with a plumber or two and am having drinks..therefore I am drunk blogging...just letting ya know...LMAO...! ps its fun...
ReplyDelete@ smArtee!!! DRUNK POSTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteA plumber or two?? Are they tempting your desires with Plumbers' butt cracks?? LOL
Yes it IS fun!!!! I can't wait to read it... or them!!!!!
~shoes~
Back home when I was a kid, I'd sit on the window seat in my bedroom when it was storming. I loved that. Luckily IO didn't get hit!
ReplyDeleteOMG! I am sure it could not have been a direct hit, thank goodness! Glad you missed that bullet. Was your hair smoking? Just saying, ha! Can laugh now, now that we all know you were okay! Peace!
ReplyDeleteI was jolted by this blog!!!
ReplyDeleteShoes, you may have been a meteorologist in another life.
ReplyDelete@ Charlene... I thoroughly enjoy sitting and watching great lightning storms... I recall several years ago, being on the Gulf Coast while a great storm raged out over the Gulf... unbelievable lightning!!!
ReplyDelete@ Hi there, 'Whatever'... No... my hair wasn't smoking... my butt wasn't on fire... but it sure made an impression on me!!!
@ Darn Girl... I know something that can 'jolt' you... ;o)
@ Linnn... maybe so, but I felt like I was a lightning rod in THIS life!!! :oD
~shoes~
I love thunderstorms but I have never been close to being struck by lightening.
ReplyDeleteYou should be SO LUCKY - the mullet saved his life, lol !
ReplyDelete@ Bathwater... Hi there, friend... I didn't think I was close enough... evidently, there is some kind of halo effect that just spans out...
ReplyDeleteIn NCAA tournament baseball, they have some kind of meter that detects lighting within a 30-mile area of the ball park... if it detects lightning, play is suspended for 45 minutes...
@ Heff... I did do a "Hallowe'en" mullet one semester... I was in a long hair phase... decided to get it cut... and opted for the 'business-in-the-front/party-in-the-rear' look... the lady who cuts my hair promised to finish the hair cut on Nov 1st... needless to say, "MY" students thought it was cool... the students who didn't know me had one of those 'who-the-fuck-is-he' things going on... HAR!!
~shoes~
That's unbelievable. You could've kicked the bucket. Good thing that didn't happen. Wouldn't it be great, though, to be able to harness 1,000,000,000,000 volts of electricity (like the Doc)? That would solve a lot of energy problems (and someone would get really rich).
ReplyDeleteHi there... I think what was lucky is that I wasn't actually struck by it, but was just on close proximity... it's amazing though that it still dazed me and knocked me for a loop!!!
Delete~shoes~