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People struck by lightning in the Okanagan share their stories

Have you ever had a close call with a bolt of lightning?
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Lightning was the cause of two new fires July 19, 2017 near Elko and Creston. Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

After an Okanagan woman recently had a close call with a bolt of lightning, other people on social media have shared their lightning strike stories.

“It struck in the corner of our yard. I was probably still 100 feet away from it as I walked towards our dumpster. I only saw everything go bright white. It threw me about 6 feet backward,” said Vernon resident Patricia Marshall.

Another Vernon resident captured a lightning strike which started a fire.

“It was huge! Far bigger than I ever thought possible. And when I compared it to the size of the homes on Becker Mountain, they were insignificant in size. The lightning strike started a fire that was eventually extinguished by city firefighters,” said social media user Kelvin Kolman.

Other storm chasers, like Paul Cousins who is a photographer with a hobby of seeking the best lightning shots, shared some of his favourite storm moments.

According to the national geographic, about 2,000 people are killed worldwide by lightning each year. Hundreds more survive strikes but suffer from a variety of lasting symptoms, including memory loss, dizziness, weakness, numbness, and other life-altering ailments.

The average person has about a one in 5,000 chance of being struck by lightning during a lifetime.


@LarynGilmour
laryn.gilmour@blackpress.ca

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