Have you ever ALMOST been struck by lightning?

Question

A bolt hit the ground very near me the other night....you could feel the energy reverberating out. Very strange and humbling sensation...

This ever happen to anyone else?

Answer 1

Yes, this happened to me.  I have always been very afraid of lightning, I don't know why.  I ended up moving from the midwest to FL. . .duh.  But two years ago, I HAD to leave work early b/c I had a dr's appt and of course, it was storming.  Two people were walking to their car in front of me so I figured I had a 1/3 chance of getting struck by lightning.  Sounds crazy but yes, that is how I think b/c I am so scared.  So I'm about halfway to my car, and big bolt came down and struck a lightpole nearest to me, I could feel the electricity, it actually burnt my arm hair and some of my neck hair (my hair was tied up).    The two people in front of me turned around to make sure I was okay b/c like I said, the strike was closest to me.  When I got in my car, I just cried.  It wasn't a surprise when I got to the dr and they told me my blood pressure was unusually high.  My blood pressure is never high and tends to border on the low side, but this day, the nurse told me my blood pressure was "unusually high".  It's a very scary thing and I don't ever want to be in that situation again.  I know lightning is dangerous, I knew it was before this happened.  I just can't describe it any better than that - just very scary.

Answer 2

I just told this story the other day when answering a similar question, but here goes:

_______________________________

Yes; once.

At my first duty station, I was taking a night-time observation from the airfield. There were two things happening to cause this event:

1. The Doppler radar RDA was not built far enough away from the airfield, which put our airfield in the "cone of silence", which meant we would not see all of the thunderstorm activity taking place directly over our airfield. This is dangerous, and it was a problem we battled with down there.

2. On this particular night, a thunderstorm seemed to develop out of nowhere directly over the airfield. We knew however, that there were some isolated storms in the region.

While taking an observation in the dark on the open tarmac, about 30 yards away from the safety of my building, I noticed the sky was glowing a deep red color from the reflection of local lights. I thought to myself that it looked mighty suspicious and very ominous. Before I could decide what I was looking at, and while feeling very wary to be standing below this thing unprotected, the lightning happened- a bright, PURPLE flash with immediate thunder. The LOUDEST THUNDER I HAVE EVER HEARD. It was more of a CRASH sound than anything. I was in the military and therefore had my hair fastened into a bun, and the bobby pins somehow attracted a portion of this lightning because I felt like something or somebody SMACKED my head when the lightning struck somewhere nearby. It was terrifying. Oh, that smell. That electric smell. Awful.

It knocked me down onto the ground. As I scrambled up from the ground the rain began. That caused me to slip and fall and CRAWL my way back into the building. I trembled for a while but the wonderful part was I was required to take an observation because a thunderstorm began. But I wanted to go hide in a corner.

When I tell people this story, I describe my close encounter with lightning like this: A purple flash with an electric smell, and it felt like opening an oven door because of the heat. The sound was louder than anything I've ever heard.

They called me "lightning rod" at work for a while, but to me, it wasn't very funny. I am pretty sure I am lucky to have survived that.

Answer 3

Actually no, but my cat was walking outside when i was younger during a storm and it actually got hit by lighting.  It was instantly obliterated and me made me question my own mortality.  It's and odd phenomenon that shouldn't be taken LIGHTLY!!!

Answer 4

thats happened. and i was near a pole. chances of me living 1/14038890740779087384888880? haha.

Answer 5

my friend got struck by lightening and this pants caught on fire and part of his shoes melted. he was okay but he got knocked back like ten feet