Jonathan Moore was working outdoors last Monday afternoon in Lutz, a Tampa suburb when he witnessed a huge lightning bolt strike a palm tree a mere 75 feet from where he sat in his car.
His camera recorded the entire event. He reported a loud boom moments prior to the tree being struck (which is interesting because it’s supposed to happen in the opposite order).
The weather had called for thunderstorms at some point during the day, but at the time of the strike there was no rain, the sun was shining and the sky was blue and cloudless.
“A bolt from the blue” is a very poetic turn of phrase, however, the meaning has its origins in an anomalous phenomenon. Lightning strikes usually occur when the skies turn a dark ominous grey heralding the beginning of a dramatic rainstorm. When skies are clear blue and the sun is shining, a huge clap of thunder followed by a vicious lightning strike is the last thing anyone would expect to hear or see.
According to the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, a “bolt from the blue” originates from the side of thunder clouds, travels through clear skies for a significant distance (up to 10 miles), and angles down before reaching the ground. Channel 10 chief meteorologist Bobby Deskins claims the bolt traveled eight miles from the original storm cloud.
According to the National Weather Service, the central Florida peninsula (from Tampa Bay to Cape Canaveral) boasts the highest lightning concentration in the U.S. It’s estimated that 90 percent of this spectacular light show takes place between May and October, and the hours of noon and midnight.
In 2019, lightning was responsible for 27 fatalities in the U.S., and 243 serious injuries. So far in 2020, a dozen deaths have been reported due to lightning strikes.
In any given year, the odds of being struck by lightning are one in 1,222,000. Ironically, one has a better chance of being hit by a bolt of lightning than winning the lottery at one in 175,000,000 — a much safer bet.
A shaken Moore states that people need to be on high alert when thunderclaps are present. When thunder roars, go indoors, even if it’s sunny.
Moore was unharmed but the palm tree lost a large limb in the incident.
Watch the bolt from the blue video:
Jonathan Moore alikuwa akifanya kazi nje ya nyumba Jumatatu baada ya mchana huko Lutz, Tampa, wakati aliposhuhudia umeme mkubwa ukipiga mtende wa mtende umbali wa mita 75 tu kutoka mahali alipoketi kwenye gari lake. Kamera yake ilirekodi tukio hilo lote. Aliripoti boom kubwa dakika kabla ya mti kuwa hit (ambayo ni ya kuvutia kwa sababu ni lazima kutokea katika utaratibu kinyume). Hali ya hewa ilikuwa imehitaji dhoruba za radi wakati fulani wakati wa mchana, lakini wakati wa shambulio hilo hakukuwa na mvua, jua lilikuwa liking'aa na anga lilikuwa la bluu na lisilo na mawingu. "Mshtuko kutoka kwa bluu" ni mzunguko wa mashairi sana wa kifungu, hata hivyo, maana ina asili yake katika jambo lisilo la kawaida. Kwa kawaida umeme hutokea wakati anga linapogeuka kuwa kijivu chenye kuogopesha, na hivyo kuashiria mwanzo wa dhoruba kubwa ya mvua. Wakati anga ni wazi na jua ni mwanga, kubwa applause ya ngurumo na kufuatiwa na umeme mkali ni kitu cha mwisho mtu angependa kusikia au kuona. Kulingana na Shirika la Kitaifa la Bahari na Anga, "mlipuko kutoka kwa bluu" hutoka upande wa mawingu ya ngurumo, husafiri kupitia anga safi kwa umbali mkubwa (hadi maili 10), na pembe chini kabla ya kufikia ardhi. Mtaalamu mkuu wa hali ya hewa wa kituo cha 10 cha BBC, Bobby Deskins, amesema kwamba mlipuko huo ulipita umbali wa maili nane kutoka kwenye wingu la kwanza la dhoruba. Kulingana na Shirika la Hali ya Hewa la Kitaifa, peninsula ya kati ya Florida (kutoka Tampa Bay hadi Cape Canaveral) ina mkusanyiko mkubwa zaidi wa umeme nchini Marekani, na inakadiriwa kuwa asilimia 90 ya maonyesho haya ya mwangaza hufanyika kati ya Mei na Oktoba, na saa za mchana na usiku wa manane. Mwaka 2019, umeme ulisababisha vifo 27 nchini Marekani na kujeruhiwa 243 kwa uzito mkubwa. Tangu mwaka 2020, watu 12 wamefariki kutokana na umeme. Katika mwaka mmoja, uwezekano wa kuanguka kwa umeme ni 1 katika 1,222,000. Kwa kushangaza, mtu ana nafasi kubwa ya kugongwa na umeme kuliko kushinda bahati nasibu kwa moja katika 175,000,000 <unk> bet salama zaidi. Moore aliyetetemeka anasema kwamba watu wanahitaji kuwa macho sana wakati radi inapopiga. Ngurumo inapopiga, nenda ndani ya nyumba, hata ikiwa kuna jua. Moore hakuumia lakini mtende ulipoteza tawi kubwa katika tukio hilo. Angalia bolt kutoka video ya bluu: