We wrote about lightning and the associated danger in this space yesterday; today we have more reports from the National Weather Service on the storms that rolled through the state Tuesday afternoon…
In Randolph County, traffic lights were destroyed, computers were severely damaged at the Courthouse and the Courthouse Annex, and one house caught fire and burned to the ground. Apparently, all of this was due to intense lightning.
In Calhoun County, the same batch of storms was responsible for bringing down trees and power lines along Alabama 144 between Ohatchee and Alexandria. One tree was blown onto a car in Ohatchee. Calhoun County EMA also reports three house fires due to lightning strikes; those fires were near the Wellington community.
And, down in South Alabama, a church burned to the ground in the Mt. Vernon community; that fire most likely was also started by a lightning strike.
One important point about the afternoon storms of summer… severe thunderstorms are defined based on hail and wind criteria (the hail must be ¾” or larger, or winds must be at 58 mph or higher). The intensity or frequency of lightning is not a factor in severe thunderstorm warnings, and you need to know that “non-severe” storms can often produce the most lightning on a summer afternoon.
We can be thankful that there were no reports of anyone being struck by lightning yesterday; the simple rule is this: when you hear thunder, go inside (even if it is not raining
. When the thunder stops, you can go back outside. We will have plenty more days with active thunderstorms this summer… lets all remember lightning safety. In the words of J.B. Elliott… “lightning is frightening”!
In Randolph County, traffic lights were destroyed, computers were severely damaged at the Courthouse and the Courthouse Annex, and one house caught fire and burned to the ground. Apparently, all of this was due to intense lightning.
In Calhoun County, the same batch of storms was responsible for bringing down trees and power lines along Alabama 144 between Ohatchee and Alexandria. One tree was blown onto a car in Ohatchee. Calhoun County EMA also reports three house fires due to lightning strikes; those fires were near the Wellington community.
And, down in South Alabama, a church burned to the ground in the Mt. Vernon community; that fire most likely was also started by a lightning strike.
One important point about the afternoon storms of summer… severe thunderstorms are defined based on hail and wind criteria (the hail must be ¾” or larger, or winds must be at 58 mph or higher). The intensity or frequency of lightning is not a factor in severe thunderstorm warnings, and you need to know that “non-severe” storms can often produce the most lightning on a summer afternoon.
We can be thankful that there were no reports of anyone being struck by lightning yesterday; the simple rule is this: when you hear thunder, go inside (even if it is not raining
. When the thunder stops, you can go back outside. We will have plenty more days with active thunderstorms this summer… lets all remember lightning safety. In the words of J.B. Elliott… “lightning is frightening”!
on August 16, 2006, 8:55 pm
As far as the report , interesting but scarry .
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on August 16, 2006, 9:18 pm
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