The Closest You Personally Have Been to Lightning

sorry david but i wanted to tell the truth, at least i wasnt rude about it. but i did just re-word it.
 
id say that was close, from where me and my friend were standing and from where my dad was in the back of the house i think it was very close if he got thrown at lease 15 feet away! scary stuff right there!
 
Somehow, I guess I missed this thread before. My closest encounters were not chasing. Some years before I began chasing, I was fishing from the shore of Carlyle lake near Keyesport, IL. A storm was coming, but as often is the case, the fish were biting right before the storm and I caught a couple very nice bass, so I held out as long as possible. Finally it was evident it was no longer safe, so as it was lunchtime I went into the Keyesport Harbor Restaurant for a beer and a burger. Just after I got my beer, I observed a simultaneous flash and crash as I saw a bolt hit the mast of a sailboat docked about 50 feet from where I was sitting. It produced an awesome shower of sparks, and turned the top foot or so of the mast from white to black. A split second later, the cook came running out of the kitchen, white as a sheet and screaming incoherently. Turns out the other branch of the bolt that hit the sailboat had hit the building we were in, and sent a shower of sparks out of the vent over the stove where she was cooking my burger! So about 10 feet from me on that one. The burger came well-done, LOL! Seriously, I was glad I moved inside when I did! I was also on a plane once over Arizona that got struck. Later that flight was the first time I ever heard a pilot actually use the word "thunderstorm" when talking to passengers.

Chasing, I have seen bolts hit in fields next to me on multiple occasions, probably 100 feet or so at the closest. Here's a video capture of one hitting in a field a couple hundred yards away on July 13, 2006:

lightning713-cr2.jpg
 
I'm glad there is a thread on this subject.
This is my first year of chasing.
I've had two close encounters with tornadoes; w/funnels just over my head.
But three really close encounters with lightning.

The most dangerous was in Elgin NE on July 15th.
I was eSpotting a 56k foot high storm that began E of Oneill that was moving twards Omaha NE - that had a whole scad of funnel clouds. I stuck around for the RFD - like a dumb-@$$ newbie that I am.
There was a Nebraska State Trooper there with me calling in the funnel clouds to radio control. We started to get a bunch of lightning and some high winds - jogging both of our vehicles to the point that they nearly tipped over. We were trapped by too much wind and near zero visibility due to the rain. It slacked off a bit after a minute.

A couple of shots of the funnel clouds are here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/trebor171/StormChaseIowa#5223468033883291298


Then the bolts got closer. I got busy unplugging my laptop from the power inverter and disconnected my external cell phone antenna. I had just looked up and -wham/slam- a bolt struck no more than five yards away from my Honda - just right in front of me. It was deafening and I saw black for about three seconds. I looked over to the Trooper, and at this time his eyes were bugging out of his head and his jaw rammed to his chest.
He rolled down his window for a moment and said "It can't get any closer than that!!".
I said "Oh - yes it can!"

It was as close as I have ever been to lightning - and I never want to get that close again unless I am in a car. I seriously questioned -and still do- the notion/need of having an external cell phone antenna after that.
I'm still trying to get the stains out...
 
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my closest was June 11th, 2008 in northwest IA. the storm was producing a ridiculous amount of intense CG's just in front of the storm, a lot of them hitting with 1/2 mile of us and maybe even closer.
 
Incredible stories, I love these threads that work to bring our collective interest together. My closest recalled strike was in September 2000 shortly after starting the hotel night job I am still at. I was outside smoking a cigarette* under the awning with a friend during a heavy storm and looking out when a bolt connected with the gutter. Accompanied by sparks, it arced to the ground via the downspout wall mounts. Sonic boom was instant causing me to involuntarily recoil. It was three stories up at a distance of about 18 feet. Fortunately I was on concrete but unfortunately, the strike not only set off the inside fire alarm but also caused the front door to lock! With all hell breaking loose, my friend and I wondered how we were going to get in. About a minute or two later, a curious guest came to the desk, saw us and opened the door. We then spent the rest of the time making sure there was no fire as well as calming pissed off guests. Turned out the strike not only canvassed down the front of the building but also through the interior wiring. It fried the front door key card lock mechanism as well as the telephone server thus effectively neutralizing communication for the entire property. Made for a very long night to say the least. What I found to be interesting is how at extremely close range, a lightning bolt is actually very thin. I am guessing it has to do with light refracting through airborne water molecules which creates more distortion or "width" with distance?

A secondary close call that I wish I understood better happened back on July 22, 2008. I was home and outside under our building awning during a heavy storm when a strike occurred very close. Again I instantly involuntarily recoiled (flinched?) but didn't see the actual strike. What I remember most was feeling a change in pressure like a shockwave and experiencing a painful headache.

Finally, back on June 3, 2008, I have no idea the distance as it was in my blind spot to the left but the back of the windshield caught the reflection well enough to show the closeness. Warning, I sound like a dork lol.

WMV 5.05MB
http://pawleewurx.com/st/close_call.wmv

*smoke free since 04 after 15 years, it is possible and easy!
 
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My first close encounter was back in about 1990 or so. I was picking my young one up from a visit to a cousin's house. It had been storming a bit on the way there, but nothing severe. I had parked on top of a hill under a telephone pole (not a lot of parking options :rolleyes:). My son had gotten into the car, and I was about halfway into the car when the hair on my arms and neck began to stand up. Needless to say I quickly got in the car and closed the door, when a bolt from the blue nailed the pole (the storm had been "over" for about half an hour, but it apparently wasn't totally over :p). Distance from me to the bolt... < 50 feet :eek:
I've had a "few" other close encounters since then...one of the best ones was in SE KS, June 4, 2005. We (Jo, Shane, Chad, and Mickey and I) were repositioning on one of those back roads and CGs were rather prevalent. The guys were in Chad's car and Jo and I were in my car. Suddenly there was a loud explosion, I could feel the heat coming in through the window, and my hands and arms were tingling from where I was holding the steering wheel. We didn't even see the bolt until we reviewed the tape later that night :eek:
 
My first time I was 13 I was in the front of my house when lightning struck 5 feet from me . Scared the sh out of me . Then in the first of June 07 my chase car was struck at night , in no man's land of Loco , Oklahoma.
 
A few years back I was standing on the porch watching a storm. Then out of nowhere, a big CG struck the backyard of a house that was across the street from me, about 2 houses up. The thunder was a very loud booming crack basically right at the time the bolt hit... which scared the crap out of me. You could only imagine what came out of my mouth then lol. Then I saw a puff of smoke afterwards. The bolt appeared to be bead lightning. I wish I had footage but I am glad that house didn't burn down.
 
Lightning scares the crap outta me. I'm not that afraid of being in a circulation(I'm even kinda look forward to it) but when the cg's are bombarding me, such as the mulvane storm, I'm ducking and covering.

Standing just west of Marietta,Ok. in a gas station parking lot watching a awesome meso when it hit the power pole about 20 feet from me. Sparks went flying and so did my feet!I thought I had been hit and so did Aaron,my chase partner.That one actualy hurt! Also had a cg hit a wheat feild right beside me setting a huge blaze on May
29th, '04.

When lightning hits that close it never makes the classic kaboom sound, I always hear a sizzle and then nothing, just a bright flash and my ears are ringing. Do you other lightning rods experience the same phenomena or is it just me?
 
I've had several close calls with lightning.

Just over a year ago or so, I was driving back to Denver, and I was very near Watkins at the time. I had just passed through some very intense rain, when the lightning suddenly really picked up. I was enjoying watching it, when it hit one of those little reflector poles on the side of the road. Timing was incredible as I was driving close to 65 miles and hour and was right next to the pole at the time. To this day I am not entirely sure that it didn't also hit my car. At any rate it popped my ears, gave me a slight headache, and deafened me for several minutes. Scared me enough that I was shaking for quite a while. Shortly after that it struck the field just to my south as well. That didn't help the headache, but that was some of the most beautiful lightning I have ever seen.

Another close call occurred back in high school. I was up in Estes park walking across this huge field in front of the lodge at the YMCA. I had finally managed to convince my friends that a game of miniature golf was not the wisest idea considering the approaching storm. As we walked toward the building I looked over at my friends and realized their hair was standing on end, as was my own. The air around us was also starting to get almost crackly and I could sense almost a feeling of static electricity in the air. At that point, one of my other friends noticed it as well, and we both screamed "run". We made it to the building without lightning striking, but that was a little too close for my comfort.

A few years back on my birthday, I was about to walk outside when I saw a flash and excruciatingly loud thunder. Loud enough to make several friends actually scream. Lightning had struck a metal pole in the back yard of the neighbors right to our west.

Finally, I remember sitting in my house reading. I glanced out the window, but the sky was completely blue all the way around the house. Suddenly, there was a loud clap of thunder...louder then anything I had heard up until that point, that actually knocked a few things off the wall. To this day, I have no idea where the lightning struck, but when I looked out the window, there was this little storm directly above the house. It was the only storm, actually cloud for that matter in the sky at that point.
 
C.Kenn said:
I dont here sizzling but in my video there is a noise produced by the lightning. Wait till the end theres a slow motion scene and notice the "pop" made after the strike

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh5_6J9eo10
Click to expand...

Well, from my close three encounters this year, I would have to say that they all sounded as loud as a cannon shot. Maybe others had different experiences due to acoustic shadows created by the landscape.
I can't say.
My experiences were bone-jarring.
Really...
:D
 
Nice CG. If one wanted you could figure out about exactly how far away it was by counting the video frames between flash and boom. Sound travels about a mile in 5 seconds. 30 frames per second video. And of course you can get a better number for speed of sound if you want.
 
You know your really close when you don't even hear a typical boom...because your well within the area where the initial air displacement is...which is the "boom" sound.

I've seen this on many videos both on youtube, and on television/cable. There are noises, but it usually is the reaction of the material being struck...like bark being splintered of the tree being struck. I think the most evident showcase of both this and the dangers of lightning is the shot taken from South America (Brazil I think) during a soccer game. You see little flash, and little burn mark on the field...but you know what happens, because any player within 50-70 yards just drops to the field....in the middle of a soccer match (football for those international guys).
 
I've had the car hit seven times over the last 16 years. the most recent was earlier this year when out spotting. I was heading for some cover and BANG!! the whole car died and everything shorted out. I carry extra wire and connectors in the car so i can do a quick fix and get the car going again. It gets expensive...
 
Certainly closer than I prefer. I think lightning is one of the larger, least worried about dangers of chasing. The problem with lightning is you can be hit before you are even aware of the possibility. There was a guy on top of Pikes Peak a number of years ago that was hit and killed by the first and only bolt generated by a nearby shower - completely unexpected. I've seen some incredibly intense lightning displays over the years. They are amazing to watch. It is incredible the amount of potential violence and power in each stroke. On the evening of the Mulvane tornado (what was it 2004?) I was driving behind the guy that later got struck and injured by lightning. That was a really spectacular and intense lightning show. I felt as I was driving toward the meso that I was going into a war zone with bolts showering down around. I was definitely concerned that day about the possibility of a strike, and was trying to 'keep my head down'. I did not want to get out of the vehicle while it was in progress.
 
Lightning is the main reason I developed a interest in meteorology. I was in kindergarden and my dad was taking me to school one day. I was staring out the window at a field that is close to my house. The only tree in that field was about 100 feet away and I watched it as it got nailed. I had never seen anything like that before and was amazed.
Ever since I seem to get a big head and don't think when there is lightning around unless there are others around. I have had many close calls since, most because I'm dumb, but heck, I will go when my time comes.

Chip
 
There was a very large dust storm rolling into Phoenix, I had figured it was moving north at 60-70 mph, I went inside my house when it blew it. Winds were as I had figured. after the main dust cloud went psat there was a very strong downbust, the wind was more intense, I figure them to have been 100-120 mph. I had a pair os silver crosess from my parents funerals havging on the wall, they began to glow with St.Elmo. Water was being blown through the drain slits in the aluminum windows, I noticed so much water was coming in, the carpet we wet, I stood next to the window, in the water, and looked thru the aluminum blinds to see what I could see. Just then I saw a huge light off to my left and felt the electicity hit me--I woke up after a few minites laying on the carpet, my arm and right side and legs were tingling, I was breathing fast and shallow---so I assume A bolt hit just to the right side of the front of the house and some of the current came in with the waterflow/wet carpet/hands on aluminum binds to knock me on my butt and stun me a little.So how close was I? Close enogh to get juiced
 
There has been a few close calls (40) feet or closer.....one was the front yard while watching an advancing charged cell......bolts hit about every 20 seconds in a line starting 1 mile out and moved in towards me. The last one I remember hit a telephone pole 40 feet away and splintered the top couple feet...smoking. The flash and report were one of the same and deafening.......last year while standing about 100 yards from our TV station transmission tower. I was watching the static electricity runners going down the guy lines...popping. The static build up on the 1500 ft tower was immense. At once I observed a bolt come from a rain shaft area of the storm about 3 miles away. It arched the 3 miles almost horizontally passing 3 othe r towers and struck the tip of our tower showering sparks for a few hundred feet. The bolt was white and the sparks were green. The weird thing about tall tower strikes is their report (crack) is not the same...or as loud as a ground strike. Guess the lightning path is a lot shorter.....Its pretty cool and happens several times a year.
 
I’ve pointed out with some pride in other posts that I have been an electrical lineman for most of my career with two electrical utilities. In the summer of 1971, another lineman and I were called out during a storm for some customers being out of power south of Augusta, Kansas. When my partner and I got to the area, we found a pole that had been hit by lightning with the top five feet of it split out. This had allowed the cross-arm to become detached from the pole and the phases were wrapped together.

We decided that we could make temporary repairs by drilling a hole in the pole and reattaching the cross-arm in a lower position for the night and then get the pole replaced the next day. This was in the days before bucket trucks were common, so we both climbed the pole and made the temporary repairs while the storm was quite active around us. Customers were without power and this is what we were paid to do in life.

When we were finished, Jack climbed down first. As soon as he was on the ground, I climbed down also. I had taken about five steps towards the truck to put my tools away when lightning hit the pole again that we had just came down from. The bolt splintered the pole to pieces showering both of us with debris. I’ve thought a lot over the years about how different the situation would have been if we had been just two minutes slower in our work.
 
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