lightning bolt hit Coors Field during game

[Jonathan Whitehead]

I was just watching Sportscenter and they were doing the Rockies/Rangers game and they showed as part of the highlights a still image of a lightning bolt hitting the left field stands and light tower/scoreboard and I was wondering if anyone could find this image and post it.

 

[Tony Laubach]

Chris,

I tried to DVR it, but the DVR cut off right before the highlights. I got a good look and the bolt looked as if it was well north of the stadium. There were no reports of any lightning strikes in the stadium. That bolt looked like it was well behind all that.

The game was delayed for rain for about 50 minutes, but they escaped the worst of the storm as golfball hail and flooding was occuring about 5 miles west of there.

It was a cool still, though! I'll try and DVR other Sport Center's for you.

Ciao,
Tony

 

[Jayson Prentice]

You should have plenty of attempts to tape it as Sportscenter is of course shown another 10 times with the same main cuts of footage.

I think Tony would probably be right in that the bolt didn't hit the stadium directly, wouldn't that cause some pretty good damage as well as some injuries with it being so close and most stadiums have quite a bit of metal in them that would be a great conductor to all of the people. One of the worst disasters that could happen would always be with a crowded stadium...

 

[Michael P. Morris]

I was watching the game live and the bolt was a little outside of the stadium (maybe about a half mile, not much more) and was accompanied by the crackle-hiss-boom sort of sound that you hear when a bolt strikes rather close to your location. Very pretty strike, too - lots of little branches and streamers. Something Susan S. would be proud of. Personally, I was rather surprised that they did not suspend play at that moment, or even before as you could hear the thunder on the broadcast.