[EmC]

My dad just called from the house to tell me that another storm like this was blowing up around him. He wanted to know how to unboot the computer so it wouldn't get fried.

[jcoley2]

If your house was actually struck you should call your local fire dept. It is possible that the electrical shock can stay smoldering in your walls in your wires for days. . . .

[LudwigVan]

Originally Posted by EmC This kind of stuff is so cool. I wish I had some high res shots of stuff like that for desktop backgrounds. All the ones I find are too small or are too dark.

You can try this blog post for one nice set of recent snapshots (no lightning, though). The full-size photos are about 850 pixels wide.



EDIT: Fixed URL.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by LudwigVan You can try this blog post for one nice set of recent snapshots (no lightning, though). The full-size photos are about 850 pixels wide.

Your URL is broken

[LudwigVan]

Originally Posted by Dave Your URL is broken

Sorry about that. I've included the URL in the post.

[World Leader Pretend]

Originally Posted by EmC Exactly, I found that same image using google's image search. I just saw this story on CNN. Aparently some guy was struck by lightning while riding his motorcycle. Riding a motorcycle is dangerous enough without war of the worlds playing out around you. CNN Article

Whoa! That's pretty weird. Oddly, I used to live in that area.

That reminds me of stories of mountain climbers out on a clear day when a bolt of lightning comes out of nowhere and kills one . Apparently they travel sideways for about a 100 miles, and pick someone off. Lightning is strange stuff.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by LudwigVan Sorry about that. I've included the URL in the post.

Thanks , there are some great pics in there!

[GladToBeHere]

My back yard got hit (with me in it). I ran inside so fast I came out of my shoes. After relaxing, I turned on my new television, only to find that half the screen is fried permanently green. For several years now, everyone looks like they're sea-sick and ready to ralph.

Thank you, electricity!

[DMBand0026]

Originally Posted by jcoley2 If your house was actually struck you should call your local fire dept. It is possible that the electrical shock can stay smoldering in your walls in your wires for days. . . .

It wouldn't smolder for days, it would burn your house down . If your house does get struck, call the fire department, you're much better being safe than sorry.

Edit: Last summer the house across the street from my parent's house got struck, I believe their chimney got hit. The chimney basically exploded throwing bricks as far as three houses away, but only half was destroyed, the other half looked like absolutely nothing was wrong with it. They lost a lot of electronic equipment in their house. I was at my parent's house when they got hit, I remember it being one of the loudest noises I'd ever heard, it was unreal.

[EmC]

Well the weather hasn't gotten any better. We had another lightning storm come through last night. The transformer across the street was stuck. At the same time you could see and hear the electricity arcing between the lines in the air.

I'm glad I'm moving next week. Someone around here is doing their best to incur the wrath of the almighty.

[Banana]

Was there a Pat Robertson convention booked nearby?

At any rate, you would do well to make sure wherever you're moving to will not be Pat's next stop.

[Windswept]

Googled a few storm/lightning pics:


















The last *really* bad storm we had (a few years ago) blew my neighbor's huge air conditioning unit off his roof. It rolled or bounced down his very-slanted roof and was lying in the middle of the street about 40' from his house. Left a big hole in the roof, of course, which is so handy to have in the middle of a deluge.

I happened to speak with people up in the mountains who'd had friends talking on the phone when lightning struck nearby. Apparently these friends' personalities were seriously changed (not for the better) after having large amounts of electricity flowing through them.

But, ya know, I hardly ever hear warnings on local tv news/weather about staying off the phone during lightning storms. Why don't they say something, I'm wondering, if it's so hazardous?

[PKIDelirium]

Just use a cordless or a cell phone, so you're not wired to a lightning rod.

[EmC]

Originally Posted by Banana Was there a Pat Robertson convention booked nearby? At any rate, you would do well to make sure wherever you're moving to will not be Pat's next stop.

Please do not get me started on Pat Robertson, that could make (and I believe has made) a whole other rant inducing hate spewing thread.


THose pictures are fantastic by the way.