Lighting Capital of the world

Oldman · June 24, 2009, 06:03:55 PM

Tampabay area (where I live) is normally in 2nd place as the Lighting Capital of the world. This year I think we are going to number 1.

Last night we had a storm and it covered my entire county at the same time. The radar showed 1400 lighting strikes in 15 minutes and this continued for well over one hour. That is 1.56 lighting stikes per second.

Above my house for about 10 minutes it was no longer night-dark. While I've been impressed with lighting storms in the past, this one really got my attention. Happened around 1 am. It is by far not the first one this year, but what a light-show!

Olds

Gizmo · June 24, 2009, 10:38:46 PM

Now if you could only capture and store that extra engergy. Probably be better than all the "Green" engery devices since generation is free, all you got to do is store. :o

Habanero Smoker · June 25, 2009, 01:27:01 AM

Sounds like one hell of a show, but for me I probably would have needed a change of shorts. :)

manxman · June 25, 2009, 01:37:14 AM

Quotebut for me I probably would have needed a change of shorts.

I'm with Habs on that one, lightning is very rare around us and the most spectacular lightning storms I have ever seen were in Greece and just up the coast from you Raye in Clearwater a few years back.

Quote1400 lighting strikes in 15 minutes

Amazing. Whilst lighting is rare around us I was stuck out in a small boat a few miles off the coast a couple of years back when we had an unexpected lighting storm. Now that was scary and we made sure the carbon fibre fishing rods were not pointing skywards!! ::) :o

Mr Walleye · June 25, 2009, 07:46:02 AM

Here in southern Saskatchewan we get lots of summer storms and lightening. I was out on Lake Diefenbaker at a fishing tournament a few years ago and there was a nasty storm approaching. I was holding my fishing rod (graphite rod) and all of the sudden it started buzzing like a bee. I sat there looking at it, then I touched the rod... Zap! Scared the crap out me. Then, right away it started buzzing again. About then the lightening started and it didn't take long for us to get out of there! ;)

You certainly don't want to be out in boat in a lightening storm. I don't know if it's an old wives tale or not but they say having your rods start to buzz is a pre-cursor to being struck by lightening. I wasn't prepared to stickaround to find out! ;)

Mike

ExpatCanadian · June 25, 2009, 08:11:13 AM

When I was a very young kid in the mid-70's, growing up not far from you Mr. Walleye, I remember one particular storm where my Mom was in the bathtub and a lightning strike nearby somehow managed to travel through the pipework of the house and sever the chain on the bathtub plug. All I remember was Mom running out of that bathroom quicker than I had ever seen her move before, and probably since now that i think about it :D She described a loud bang and a flash of light... it took her a while to realise exactly what had happened... and to realise just how lucky she was to not be slightly crispy!! This was an old house, built by my Grandfather in the early 1900's and we only spent about another 5 or 6 years in it, but that slightly melted chain was NEVER replaced as a reminder of what not to do in a lightning storm in that house! ;D

Habanero Smoker · June 25, 2009, 02:03:27 PM

Quote from: Mr Walleye on June 25, 2009, 07:46:02 AM
I don't know if it's an old wives tale or not but they say having your rods start to buzz is a pre-cursor to being struck by lightening. I wasn't prepared to stickaround to find out! ;)

Mike

You are fortunate. Also if the hair on the back of your neck or arms start to tingle and/or stand up that is another warning that lightening is going to strike very near.

pensrock · June 25, 2009, 02:28:31 PM

Wow, I LOVE lighting and t-storms. That must have been one great show.