Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Static or did I get nicked by Lightening?

I was sitting here a short time ago during what has been one hell of a storm system blowing thru NWO. Possible tornados, wind damage, flooding, and lots and lots of lightening with thunder. I had the sliding glass door open a bit into the living room and was sitting here in my chair when BAM! A lightening bolt hit really close to the apartment and a bright light came into the living room and hit my left arm. I felt this quick almost needle type sensation, then it felt numb and now it hurts. Left a small red mark on my arm. So the household discussion is did I get some type of a static discharge type poke from the lightening strike or did I somehow get hit by lightening?

Either way it felt really strange but I'm not glowing or anything...it doesn't hurt to the point I can't handle it but it sure as hell felt like more than a static poke.

I'm also really hoping our basement at the house isn't flooded - reports of 5 to 6 feet of water are making me concerned. We were going to head over after the rain stopped but it's flooded to deep to get out of here at the moment and it sounds like several of the roads on the way there are flooded even worse than here so it's not worth the risk. Tomorrow we'll head over and survey...Bright spot is we didn't carpet the basement yet and if it isn't flooded? We know we don't have much to worry about given the huge amount of rain we got in such a short time period.

:-)

6 comments:

historymike said...

You very well could have gotten zapped by residual electricity from the lightning strike, Lisa.

Given the fact that you had the door open, and water likely sprayed on the floor, you were probably well within any potential electrical fields from a nearby strike.

Agreed that this was one of the most powerful storms in this area in quite some time. Three intense waves of heavy rain and almost continuous electrical discharge kept this weather geek glued to his windows, his laptop, and channel surfing the local weather coverage.

Unknown said...

It still feels funny though the mark is gone. I can say though that I honestly don't want to ever feel anything stronger than that from a lightening bolt.

:-)

Scott G said...

I love those storms. They go around us here and I miss the feeling of being asleep and feeling like the lightning just came through your bedroom window. I find thunderstorms relxing.

I remember when I was in AIT at Fort Lee and we took a trip to Busch Gardens. We were sitting at a table and got up because it was starting to sprinkle. We got about 10-15 feet away and lightning struck the umbrella on that table. I couldn't here for a half hour afterwards and my arm hairs are still standing up 9 years later

Unknown said...

I love storms too, just not getting quite that personal with one. Though I still want to be a storm chaser some day.

:-)

Hooda Thunkit (Dave Zawodny) said...

Lisa,
Either you got a little "overspray," for lack of a better word, or you were brushed by plasma, a.k.a. the highly charged "ball lightning."

When in the near field of a strike, you can usually feel your arm hairs stand on end just before the strike and the hairs collapsing immediately thereafter.

The last time I experienced this, I was in a metal framed building, and I watched the lightning dancing across the rivet plates connecting the steel beams together.

Unknown said...

That's what is strange, there was no warning sensation. Just BOOM and then the needle type pain feeling.