Woke up last night to a huge boom. ADT system going nuts. Went out this morning to find bark all over my lawn. This black locust tree has a fresh scar spiraling down from the top. Took out my DirecTV receiver completely. The television has picture (using DVD or game system) but no sound. This happens about once a year but it usually only wipes out my telephone and answering machine. The good news is that all amplifiers appear to be fine.

Scary!

We had a huge Redwood tree in our backyard, back in 1992, that got struck by lightning and the whole tree fell parallel to our house and it was scary as can be.

It could have sliced our house but we were lucky.

I was inside shaving when it happend.

Never before was I that close to Lightning!

A freak storm out here.

Glad it didn't take out your house! I wasn't even expecting a storm last night. Thing came out of nowhere.

Time to set up a lightning rod!

Ben Franklin is one of my heroes!

I live in a small valley called Round Valley here in Valley County, Idaho. We are 360 degrees surrounded by mountian ranges. Interestingly enough, there is one really close by that is named Lightning Ridge. I think I might know how it got it's name....

I live in West Yorkshire, UK just across the valley from us on the hills at the other side is Emley Moor Television mast, one of the tallest free standing concrete structurers in Europe. ( we can tell how low the passing clouds are by which part of the structure is visible. When ever there is lightening we watch out of dining room windows and can often see lightening stike tv mast. It usually hits the top and then spirals round the outside down to the ground.

best lightening rod in the area.

mother nature puts on a very impressive display and well worth watching.

Love electrical storms but I am not too crazy about the results. They are beautiful to watch. Glad you're all O.K. over there.

Back in the 80's down in Jersey my crew and I often worked alongside another contractor named Ken, I won't use his last name although he has been highlighted on a number of TV shows. The SOB had been hit by lightning six times over the years and lived to talk about it, I believe that he is the second most struck human in the USA. The funny thing about it all is that when a storm would start boiling up on the horizon, there wasn't a man on the site that would let him get anywhere near them, we would all scurry like mice. If Ken couldn't find his own shelter or if his personal truck wasn't on site then he was bound to get wet. I wonder if he's still alive.

Jeez, lucky it didnt hit the house!

Play it safe and unplug important things like amps!

Ben Franklin is one of my heroes!

Except it wasn't old Ben who stood out in the storm flying the kite with the key on it. Old Ben was standing on a block of wax to make sure he was off the ground and under a portico to stay dry while his seven-year-old illegitimate son flew the kite. Kind of kills the magic doesn't it?

Nope. Makes him sound a lot smarter

Nope. Makes him sound a lot smarter

Haha very smart indeed!

glad that you're ok, Al. and that no amps were injured in the incident.

brent

It was his gift of the lightning rod, no patent! Nice guy!