NEWARK, Ohio -- About 60 Americans are killed and hundreds injured by lightning every year. But a Newark woman was struck a few days ago and lived to tell the tale.
Monica Lough was never afraid of thunderstorms. She's been known to stand on her front porch and watch the lightning and listen to the thunder.
But last Saturday, she let it roll in while she watched TV and played with her laptop in bed with her dog Stanley at her side.
Suddenly, she saw a bright flash, heard a deafening crack of thunder, and felt a sharp, tingly, searing pain.
She -- and the dog -- had been struck by lightning that came through a closed window.
Stanley ran out of the room and directly under another bed.
Monica's mother heard the thunder but never suspected the lightning had actually been in the house.
Monica's leg was red and she said it was hot to the touch.
She still has some soreness, but the redness has finally disappeared.
Lightning is Mother Nature's way of equalizing charges in the atmosphere.
The earth usually has a negative charge and ice particles in storms can create a positive charge.
A lightning bolt creates a channel that releases the energy and neutralizes the charges.
Whenever you hear thunder, there is lightning and you are close enough to be struck, so it's best to stay away from windows, stay off wired phones and avoid plumbing that could conduct a shock from a nearby lightning strike.
Monica said that despite her experience, she won't be afraid of storms but she may not be as enthusiastic about watching them anymore.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement