I figured this story would drop a few jaws on here.
Went to Art Park for the CCR show…was awesome. Promised a friend I’d meet him at Bar Louie after for a beer and a bite since he was bored…I don’t work until 1PM tomorrow so sure, why not.
Caught a bit of a drizzle on the way (on the bike) from Art Park to Louie, figured he was waiting and I was already a bit wet, so no sense in going home to get the car…just will tough it out on the bike.
Get to Bar Louie, it starts to down pour, then let up, then down pour, etc…on and off.
Leave and it’s finally calm, just a bit of a lightning show…kinda cool to see.
Coming down Walden, right in front of that Jim’s Truck Stop restaurant/diner place…and lightning strikes not more than 10 feet away from me, hitting a street sign or pole on my right. I’m in the far right lane, and the street sign immediately next to me gets hit. I’m pretty sure I shit through my jeans, and ruined my seat. It was the loudest crash I’ve ever heard, simultaneously with the brightest flash I’ve ever seen. I didn’t even believe it at first, and was too busy trying to not drop the bike from the shock factor…when I saw sparks flying to the ground in mass quantities from where it hit…then I finally believed it really happened.
Yeah at what appeared to be the apex of the lighting out in amherst here I was pushing a giant metal cart (leaving Tops) through a flooded lot in flip fops … Came close a few times but nothing that crazy.
So, how were you almost dead? I must have missed that. Were you almost a giant metal pole that attracts lightning? Because I thought you were a person on a motorcycle… must have missed something.
Last night Channel 2 called off the storm at the very same time the lightening was crashing all around my house. They can’t even get it right WHILE it is happening. lol
That must have been scary. The tires might have saved you from having the lightning bolt branch off the pole and strike you. It’s pretty common for a larger structures to take the brunt of a lightning strike, then have smaller branches come off and hit other objects near by.
Did you feel the charge at all? My dad was close enough once that he felt the lightning strike charge, all the hair on his arms stood up…he ran for cover.
I live on richmond and i swear to god a lightning bolt struck on elmwood i could see it from my window. I was just sitting in my apartment and it still had me shakin for a few minutes. Probably the loudest thing ive ever heard.
