Wednesday, August 5, 2020

LIGHTNING STRIKE



July definitely ended with a bang.

I cut my previous blog post short, due to a Mega Storm (capitalized for dramatic effect) that was quickly approaching. Storms generally don't bother me, but this one exuded the possibility of danger. 

It was extremely dark and the sky had an eerie greenish tint - - reminiscent of those storm skies I remember in the Ozarks that produced tornadoes.

With the first rude rumbles of thunder, Bosco dashed under the covers of my bed and Kitzee retreated into a closet.

I sat on my bed, watching the drama unfold through the window. Rain poured in torrents. As the thunder and lightning increased, I was fully expecting a power outage (so common here in the boonies).

I wasn't expecting what happened next.

A deafening crash jolted the house and a blinding flash of light EXPLODED right outside the bedroom window. 

A bolt of lightning struck just a few feet away from the house with the force of an atomic blast.
I generally don't scare very easily, but this was the closest I ever came to dying of fright. I was really shaken.

I ran onto the front porch to see if there was damage, but the house was still in tact and the rain extinguished the fire.

Naturally there was a power outage. Worst of all, my landline phone was dead (and I don't have a cell phone).
So I'm stuck here in the proverbial middle of nowhere - with no electricity, no phone, no computer.....

As if things couldn't get worse - - I misplaced the keys to my car!!!! 
This caused undiluted panic.
I finally found them two days later in the pocket of one of my shirts. 

Imagine this:
Being utterly alone, completely isolated, surrounded by forest......at midnight......with no electricity, no phone, no Internet access, no keys to my vehicle.
It was one helluva sobering night. 

To make a long story short (never one of my fortes) -
The power was eventually restored, but I didn't have Internet access or phone service.
I was finally able to drive to town yesterday (Tuesday) and get help from my Internet/phone service provider.

My phone and computer were restored to "normal" today. 

I suppose I should be dancing for joy, but I'm not in the mood for a Joy Dance. I still have other problems to contend with.....

Just wanted to share this update.



The header photo is Harold Lloyd.



16 comments:

  1. None of this would be at all the adventure we sometimes crave, but especially alone, with no phone service, computer, power or car keys. I'm glad that it's worked out now, sorta?

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    1. Well, at least I'm back on the Internet, the phone works, and I have my car keys....but I'll be very apprehensive when the next storm hits.

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  2. What a scary night, Jon, glad there was no damage to the house, yourself or the felines. We had about an hour of downpours and wind gusts from the hurricane Isais, but no power loss. Being without a cell phone, even just one with basic services or one you can buy minutes for sounds unwise, sorry to say, but you may well have your own reasons for not owning one or maybe it’s the lack of any service? Maybe you might want to reconsider in future. Being in the wilderness with no way to contact help if needed is frightening to me.

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    1. When I first moved here my old cell phone worked (it's now dead and buried). I recently tried two new cell phones, and neither one of them could pick up a signal way out here.
      I plan to try a more expensive phone and see if that might work. It's really important to have a reliable phone in such an isolated place.

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  3. Dear God! You're the only soul I know who witnessed a lightning strike this close and lived to tell about it. Thank you for the update, and I hope and pray your circumstances have calmed somewhat. Please stay safe!

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    1. Myra, that strike was MUCH too close for comfort - and it was the last thing I ever expected. I'm glad there was no damage (it could have been worse....) but I'll be extremely apprehensive during the next storm.

      BTW - I have an uncle here in TN (my father's brother, in his 80's) whose house was struck by lightning a few years ago. His computer exploded (I'm not kidding).

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  4. I had the same thing happen to me a few years ago. A lightening bolt hit the ground just a few feet from my bedroom. Knocked out all the power in our house and our sound system. A mini tornado tore up my favorite river birch tree right outside that same bedroom window. Hurricane Isaias dud some damage to the trim on our roof trim and broke in half my metal trellis for clematis. Glad you survived this one Jon!

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    1. Ron, I'm sorry to hear that the hurricane caused some damage on your beautiful property.
      That's the closest I ever came to a lightning bolt - and I hope I never see another one! It's good to hear from you - take care and stay safe!

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  5. that sounds like some storm. glad you made it through the night. i like rain if it gently falls. but, thunderstorms can indeed be scary. there was a deluge of water back east from the hurricane. glad things have calmed down. stay safe.

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    1. It rains here very frequently - - I generally like the rain, and I love the mountain fog. Most of the Tennessee storms aren't too bad, but this one was really wicked. And the lightning strike was extremely close to the house.
      That hurricane did a lot of damage back east.
      I hope all is well with you. Take care.

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  6. Hi Jon. Popped in for a quick read and look what I find. Flipping scary! Thank goodness you weren't harmed in any way.

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    1. Valerie, that was definitely a hair-raising experience - which I hope will never happen again. I'm glad you decided to pop in. Take care. Hugs to you and Charlie!

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  7. That sounds terrifying. At our previous home, we had a tall tree get struck by lightning and it severed it right in half. The top half fell straight into the ground, standing up like a new tree. It was equally frightening and magnificent.

    I’m glad all your power was restored and keys found. That’s too much aggravation at the same time.

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    1. I've never heard of a tree strike where the top half fell straight up in the ground. That's really weird.
      It's a very sobering experience to be stranded in a rural area with no source of communication. Hopefully I will find a cell phone that can get a signal out here.

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  8. My Dad's brick house was once struck by lightning. The lightning struck and the electricity followed the rain water down the tuck pointing to the doorbell button, followed the doorbell wiring and blew out the wiring and doorbell and then followed the wire to the basement where it somehow moved to the water pipe and went back outside at the faucet where it left a mark. Luckily, my Dad knew how to repair the damage and replace the doorbell.

    My Fuzzy Pom and I happened to be looking out the window a few years ago when lightning struck the giant sycamore tree in our next door neighbor's house. Everything lit up blue white and the sound was deafening. The big old tree survived and there was a burn line all of the way down the light colored bark of the tree. After that storm Fuzzy Pom always went on the alert when he saw lightning flashing out the window. Two years after the lightning struck the sycamore, unbelievably, it struck that sycamore again. Fuzzy happened to be where he could see out the window and he saw it happen again. The second lightning strike followed along the same line as the first one did but about two feet apart. It looked like a railroad track without the cross pieces. That strike killed the big old tree. Its been several years ago now and Fuzzy stands in the middle of the room where he can watch for lightning strikes out the window every time he sees distant lightning. He is deaf now so he doesn't hear it coming but can see it flashing out the window. He seems to think it is something exciting and interesting to see. I don't.

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    1. Wow - thanks for sharing those two freaky lightning stories! Lightning strikes are so unpredictable and can do extremely unusual things. It's a good thing your father knew how to repair the damage to his house.

      I'm surrounded by trees here, but strangely enough the lightning struck on a part of my property where there are no trees. It was unnervingly close to the house.
      I'm going to be really apprehensive when the next storm comes....

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