• After witnessing the continued decrease of involvement in the SpotterNetwork staff in serving SN members with troubleshooting issues recently, I have unilaterally decided to terminate the relationship between SpotterNetwork's support and Stormtrack. I have witnessed multiple users unable to receive support weeks after initiating help threads on the forum. I find this lack of response from SpotterNetwork officials disappointing and a failure to hold up their end of the agreement that was made years ago, before I took over management of this site. In my opinion, having Stormtrack users sit and wait for so long to receive help on SpotterNetwork issues on the Stormtrack forums reflects poorly not only on SpotterNetwork, but on Stormtrack and (by association) me as well. Since the issue has not been satisfactorily addressed, I no longer wish for the Stormtrack forum to be associated with SpotterNetwork.

    I apologize to those who continue to have issues with the service and continue to see their issues left unaddressed. Please understand that the connection between ST and SN was put in place long before I had any say over it. But now that I am the "captain of this ship," it is within my right (nay, duty) to make adjustments as I see necessary. Ending this relationship is such an adjustment.

    For those who continue to need help, I recommend navigating a web browswer to SpotterNetwork's About page, and seeking the individuals listed on that page for all further inquiries about SpotterNetwork.

    From this moment forward, the SpotterNetwork sub-forum has been hidden/deleted and there will be no assurance that any SpotterNetwork issues brought up in any of Stormtrack's other sub-forums will be addressed. Do not rely on Stormtrack for help with SpotterNetwork issues.

    Sincerely, Jeff D.

Two children hospitalized in Fort Worth after lightning strikes tree

Randy Jennings

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(WFAA 4/27/2023 talking about 4/26/2023) FORT WORTH, Texas — "Two children who were playing outside Wednesday evening have been hospitalized after lightning struck a nearby tree, officials in Fort Worth said. The Fort Worth Fire Department responded to Iron Ridge Drive, near West Risinger Road and Interstate 35W, around 6:30 p.m. ...... While there were no storms in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in the early evening hours, severe storms happening in the southern counties of North Texas were producing lightning 40 to 50 miles away from the storm. "

Full Story: Officials: Fort Worth children injured due to lightning strike | wfaa.com

Normally I would move on without posting something like this, but the last statement in the story about "no storms" nearby made we go pull the radar (I took the quick way and looked for a SVR Warning nearby and close to the time on IEM to pull the graphic). I put a purple star at the approx location of this strike (up near the color key). They looked to be under the anvil of 2 different cells (although the cores were 40 to 50 miles away). A good remainder to us chasers that you don't have to be in the rain or even very close to be struck.

kfwd_ref.png
 
When thunder roars, go indoors. Just another one of those sad things that just can’t get through some peoples heads. This accident is a little tricky though just because the video in that link showed multiple lightning strikes on the radar far away from any storms so maybe there was no thunder.
 
The instructor in my Atmospheric Electricity class (oh-so-long-ago) gave a good explanation for this: due to refraction of sound in air (which causes sound to curve upwards as it travels), the maximum audible range of thunder is about 60km. This is about equal to the greatest distance CG lightning had (so far) been recorded as striking from a thunderstorm. It was a clear and concise explanation.

One counterexample: in NJ a few years ago, wind and surf noise were sufficient to mask the sound of thunder from a "nearby" thunderstorm and a couple on the beach were struck by lightning from a cell close enough they would otherwise have heard the thunder and been warned. Witnesses still described it as "a bolt from the blue."

I guess "eyes on the sky" trumps "when thunder roars, go indoors"....
 
When thunder roars, go indoors
I guess "eyes on the sky" trumps "when thunder roars, go indoors"....

I am reminded of an old video from one of my chases, back when I still had to primarily depend on NOAA Weather Radio for information out in the field. On my video, you can hear the robotic NOAA radio voice say, “If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning,” immediately followed by a crash of thunder…
 
Another tragedy

There is new research on this front
 
Another tragedy

There is new research on this front
That just sounds odd, being wet lessens the severity of the injuries.... you would think it would be just the opposite.
 
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