Lightening and Thunder storms (not real storms)

This morning we were awoken to less than 10 lightning and thunder claps that were what I would call mild.

My wife stated “wow, that was big it shook the house.” To which I said “This was not big, we only have pretend storms here in California.” Reason I stated this was the first 6 years of my life I was living in upstate New York. Now back East they have real Lightening and Thunder storms. Thunder that sounds like it ripped the roof right off the house and has everyone adult and child alike jumping from bed and meeting in the hall with terror written on their faces.

Now we have had some real storms here in California, but they are few and far between. I remember storms that were so electric that the hair stood up on my arms and neck just before a lightning strike. One storm in particular was a fall storm and started as a dry lightning storm. I was standing outside my girlfriends house (now my wife) and remember that the air got really still and all sound ceased for what seemed like an eternity. There wasn’t a car moving, a bird or animal making a noise, no human activity, it was deathly silent. This probably lasted about 2 seconds but felt like longer. Suddenly the hair on my entire body stood straight up and I felt this compelling urge to hit the deck. I dropped to the ground and about the same second lightening struck the hill about 100 feet from where I was! I am sure that if I had not hit the deck I would have been struck because of all the electricity in the air. I have no proof that would have happened but I am of a firm belief that feeling was valid. As it struck the sky had a sound, not of thunder, but like God was grabbing the sky right above me and ripping it in half like a sheet of paper. Then came the sound of thunder so loud, so deafening, that my ears rang for 20 minutes afterward like I had been at a rock concert all night long. More lightning and thunder did follow but paled in comparison to this strike. My wife and I still talk about this storm as an epic event in our lives.

I remember storms similar to this in my childhood. One storm was just toying with a little flash here a little rumble there then suddenly FLASH, CRACK, BOOM! I had just previously stepped in a land mine (dog droppings in grass) and was sitting on the porch with a stick picking the crap out of my shoe when this event occurred. I cleared the 150 feet from the front door to my room in about 2 steps and was under the bed. My friends remember this same event as they were across the street inside and thought their van exploded outside.

Back east storms like this are an every season event not 2 in a 20 year period. Do you have Lightening and thunder stories like this or better? Why don’t you share them with me in the comment section? I would love to hear your stories as I am sure other readers would too.

Until the next time,

Thirteen