Security camera footage shows man being struck by lightning — twice!

May 8, 2011 Thornton Weather 1 Comment

Security camera footage posted to YouTube appears to show a man being struck by lightning -- twice. Watch the video below

Lightning is a very real danger, particularly here in Colorado where thunderstorms are common in the spring and summer months. The chances, while somewhat remote, always exist to be struck by lighting and a new YouTube video appears to show a man being struck not once, but twice.

The amazing video surfaced on YouTube last week and shows the danger lightning presents. People are seen walking with umbrellas in what appears to be inclement weather. About 25 seconds into the video, a man quickly walks along a driveway when suddenly a bright flash occurs and the man falls to the ground. Watch the video below.

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Learn more about lightning in our story, Lightning 101 – Lightning and lightning safety

After lying prone for a time the man comes to his senses, rises, and stumbles down the driveway. He only makes it a short distance before a second bolt from the blue strikes knocking him down yet again. Amazingly, after lying on the ground for another 20 seconds the man manages to get up and stumble off out of the camera’s view.

As you watch the video you notice a dark spot appearing beneath each place where the man appears to be struck. Speculation in the comments for the video is that it is either a burned spot on the pavement from the intense heat of the lightning or perhaps evidence that the man soiled himself when he was struck.

The writing in the top right corner is in Chinese but the location it was taken is unknown. There is also some debate as to the authenticity of the video as commenters raised a number of questions about the video.

What do you think? Real or not? Leave a comment with your thoughts below

Severe weather in Colorado brings a variety of conditions with lightning being very common in the Centennial State. From 1980 to 2009, 88 people were killed and 400 injured in the state by lightning. Colorado consistently ranks as one the top states for lightning-related fatalities in the nation. Learn more about lightning and lightning safety in the recommended links below.

While the video portrays an unlikely course of events, it is not outside the realm of possibility. The odds of an individual being struck by lightning in the United States in a given year are 1 in 500,000. Over a lifetime the odds are 1 in 3,000 which is a sobering statistic.

Rarely however is a person struck more than once with the National Weather Service putting the odds of being struck twice at 1 in 9 million over a lifetime. Mother Nature does not always conform to statistical rules however as Roy Sullivan, a park ranger in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia learned. Mr. Sullivan holds the Guinness World Record for being struck more times than any other human being – seven times between 1942 and 1977.

Climatology

Denver’s snow season – or rather the lack thereof – reaches near record-setting levels

May 8, 2011 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

Denver's snow season through April 30, 2010. — Denver's snow season thus far is the second worst in the past 122 years. Click the image for a larger view. (Denver Weather Examiner)

Conditions have been tinder dry across the Colorado Front Range in recent months and certainly one of the biggest factors has been the lack of snowfall. Denver is in fact seeing its second least snowiest snow season on record likely setting the stage for a dangerous fire season ahead.

Through April 30, a mere 21.8 inches of snow has been recorded at Denver’s official monitoring site at Denver International Airport. This is an astonishing 38.6 inches below normal to this point in the season. At the end of March the season ranked as the third worst but after receiving only 1.2 inches of snow in April, the situation looks even more dismal.

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Here in Thornton we have fared slightly poorer. ThorntonWeather.com has recorded 21.2 inches, by far the lowest we have seen at this point in the season since we came into operation nearly five years ago.

Only one other season has seen lower snow totals through the end of April. That occurred 122 years ago during the 1888 to 1889 season when 21.3 inches was recorded. That also ended up being that season’s final total as only a trace was recorded for the rest of the season.

While the plains of Colorado have seen little snow, that hasn’t been the case in the high country. The Colorado Rocky Mountains have been inundated with six of the eight basins reporting from 112 to 165 percent of normal snow water equivalent.

Severe drought conditions have settled in on the eastern half of Colorado with the far southeastern corner of the state event reaching extreme drought levels. NOAA’s drought outlook for the period through July predicts that the drought will continue or intensify.

This situation is cause for alarm for anyone on the plains or in the Colorado mountains east of the Continental Divide. There have already been several significant fires in the foothills and on the far eastern plains. Without some significant precipitation, Colorado may find itself seeing a very dangerous and damaging fire season ahead.

Weather History

May 8 to May 14 – This Week in Denver Weather History

May 8, 2011 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

May 8 to May 14 - This Week in Denver Weather History

Think we are done with snow for the season? That may be the case this year but it isn’t always so. Looking back at this week in Denver history we do see snowfall has occurred along with more typical spring weather including heavy rains that led to flooding.

4-8

In 1969…heavy rains caused flooding on Boulder creek in Boulder…which resulted in one death on the 7th. Flooding also occurred on Bear Creek in Sheridan and on the South Platte River in Denver. Rain over most of the eastern foothills started late on the 4th and continued with only brief interruptions in many areas until the morning of the 8th. Very high rates of rainfall occurred on the 6th and 7th with the greatest intensities in a band along the foothills from about 25 miles southwest of Denver northward to Estes Park. Storm totals by both official and unofficial measurements exceeded 10 inches over much of this area and were over 12 inches in some localities. Heavy snow fell in the higher mountains and in the foothills later in the period. The saturation of the soil resulted in numerous rock and land slides…and the heavy run-off caused severe damage along many streams and flooding on the South Platte River. Many foothill communities were isolated as highways were blocked and communications disrupted. Roads were severely damaged over a wide area…and a large number of bridges washed out. Many roads were closed due to the danger from falling rocks. A building in Georgetown collapsed from the weight of heavy wet snow. In Boulder…a man drowned when caught by the flooding waters of Boulder Creek…and a patrolman was injured. Rainfall totaled 7.60 inches in Boulder with 9.34 inches recorded at the Public Service Company electric plant in Boulder Canyon. In Morrison…rainfall totaled 11.27 inches in 4 days. Heavy rainfall totaled 4.68 inches at Stapleton International Airport over 3 days from the 5th through the 7th. Rainfall of 3.14 inches was recorded in 24 hours on the 6th and 7th. Downstream flooding continued along the South Platte River until the 12th when the flood crest reached the Nebraska line.

7-8

In 1958…rainfall totaled 2.50 inches at Stapleton Airport.

In 1873…a very light rain fell until 5:00 am…when it turned into light snow and sleet and was accompanied by brisk northeast winds. The snow froze as it fell… Breaking the telegraph lines in many places. Precipitation totaled only 0.14 inch in the city.

In 1883…a severe rain and hailstorm struck the city. In 25 minutes the hail was 5 inches deep in the vicinity of the weather office in downtown Denver and reported as deep as 10 to 12 inches in other parts of the city. Gutters were blocked by the hail…and many cellars were flooded. Precipitation from the storm was 1.90 inches with the total for the day recorded at 2.02 inches. The size of the hail was not recorded.

In 1988…a wind gust to 68 mph was recorded at Echo Lake. Northwest winds gusted to 35 mph at Stapleton Airport.

In 1995…high winds of unknown strength blew a camper shell from the back of a pickup truck near Fort Lupton. North winds gusted to 49 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 1996…1 to 2 inch diameter hail was measured in Lochbuie northeast of Denver. Bean size hail fell in Brighton. The large hail fell from severe thunderstorms to the northeast of metro Denver.

In 2003…tornadoes touched down briefly near Brighton… Watkins…and Strasburg…but did no reported damage. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was measured near Hudson.

Continue reading May 8 to May 14 – This Week in Denver Weather History →

Climatology

Denver’s May weather can bring just about any type of weather

May 1, 2011 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

Colorado natives and those that have lived here long enough know that Denver and Colorado weather changes considerably throughout the year. The month of May almost seems to pack four seasons of weather conditions into 31 days. You name it, it can happen.

This being the latter half of spring, May does mean warm temperatures. Temperatures in the 80’s are common and reaching into the 90’s is not unheard of. The normal highs start out at 65 on the first but by the end of the month that climbs to 76. The record high for the month was recorded on May 26, 1942 of 95 degrees.

From the warm temperatures to cold, from snow and rain to severe thunderstorms, May can bring just about any type of weather. Get all of the details in our May weather preview here.

Weather History

May 1 to May 7 – This Week in Denver Weather History

May 1, 2011 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

May 1 to May 7 - This Week in Denver Weather History

May can bring a variety of conditions from snow and cold to severe thunderstorms and flooding rains. Looking back at this week in Denver weather history we see where all of those events have made an appearance in our past.

29-2

In 1954…a major storm dumped 10.1 inches of snowfall at Stapleton Airport. Most of the snow…7.5 inches…fell on the 29th and 30th. The maximum snow depth on the ground was 5 inches on the 30th due to melting. No strong winds accompanied the storm.

30-1

In 1980…to the west of Denver…heavy rain changing to snow buried the foothills above 7 thousand feet in 4 to 8 inches of snow. Precipitation in the foothills ranged from 1 to 3 inches…which caused some local flooding. Rain fell at lower elevations. Rainfall at Stapleton International Airport totaled 1.05 inches from the storm.

In 1902…northwest winds were sustained to 68 mph with gusts as high as 74 mph in the city during the early morning. The apparent very strong Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 78 degrees.

In 1912…south winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts as high as 58 mph. South to southwest winds were strong all afternoon.

In 1935…a moderate duststorm blew into the city at around 2:00 pm on northwest winds sustained to 17 mph with gusts to 19 mph. Later in the afternoon…the dust receded to the east in advance of a rainstorm from the west.

In 1988…very strong winds behind a vigorous cold front produced a blinding dust storm that closed I-70 east of Denver. Northeast winds over metro Denver peaked to 45 mph at Stapleton International Airport…but only kicked up some blowing dust. The temperature plunged from a high of 76 degrees at midday to 36 degrees at midnight as light rain changed to light snow.

In 1991…3/4 inch diameter hail fell at Standley Lake in northwest metro Denver.

In 1999…heavy snow developed in the foothills above 7 thousand feet elevation. Snow totals included: 10 inches at Rollinsville…7 inches near conifer…and 6 inches atop Crow Hill. Rain fell across metro Denver.

Continue reading May 1 to May 7 – This Week in Denver Weather History →

National Weather, Natural Disasters

The South tries to recover amongst devastation of 2nd deadliest tornado outbreak on record

April 30, 2011 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

Damage from an EF5 tornado that struck Smithville, Miss., on April 27, 2011. Click the image for a slideshow of the devastation. (NWS)

With entire towns reduced to rubble and damage spread across seven states, people in the southeastern United States began the long task of recovery. The tornadoes that struck this past week claimed 341 lives and achieved the unwanted status as the 2nd deadliest single-day tornado outbreak in U.S. history.

President Barack Obama toured the devastated city of Tuscaloosa in Alabama yesterday saying, “I have never seen devastation like this. It is heartbreaking.”

The National Weather Service received 211 tornado reports during the outbreak, a number that will be reduced once duplicates are removed. No matter the number of twisters, the results were nothing short of devastating.

One tornado that struck near Smithville, Mississippi has received an EF-5 rating – the highest possible. Meteorologists estimate that twister packed winds of 205mph. A tornado in Georgia was rated an EF-4 and at least five EF-3 tornadoes struck Alabama. Weather service officials say they expect more twisters could receive the highest rating as they continue their investigation.

With 341 lives confirmed lost and the number expected to continue to grow, the outbreak ranks as the 2nd deadliest single-day outbreak on record. It surpassed the “Super Outbreak” of 1974 and a 1932 outbreak in the Deep South.

Some are speculating the toll will grow enough for the event to become the worst in history, a truly nightmare scenario. The Tri-State tornado on March 18, 1925 claimed the lives of 747 people. One tornado alone in that outbreak tracked 234 miles across Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.

Slideshow: DigitalGlobe, NASA and Geoeye satellites provide view of tornado devastation

Obama has promised to speed federal aid to the region as governor’s in the hardest hit states declared states of emergency. “We can’t bring those who’ve been lost back. They’re alongside God at this point … but the property damage, which is obviously extensive, that’s something we can do something about,” the president said.

Damage estimates continue but an untold number of homes have been destroyed, certainly a number in the thousands. Insured losses could reach between $2 billion and $5 billion which would push the disaster into the top 10 list of most expensive natural disasters in US history.

We are providing complete coverage of the tornado outbreak on Examiner.com. Please visit the following links for more information.

Photo slideshows:

Related stories:

National Weather, Natural Disasters

Disaster strikes: Worst tornado outbreak in more than 30 years hits the South

April 28, 2011 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

A tornado is seen ripping through Tuscaloosa, Alabama. View more images in the slideshow below. (Credit: yfrog / bamawx)

A virtually unrivaled severe weather outbreak hit the southern United States yesterday bringing death and destruction. The death toll from the event continues to climb and now ranks as the second worst since 1950.

The evaluation on the number of tornadoes and their power has begun by the National Weather Service. The Storm Prediction Center recorded 164 reports but a number of those will be eliminated as duplicates of the same twisters.

Harold Brooks, a meteorologist with the SPC, told the Associated Press that he believed as many as 60 reports may be attributed to a single long-track tornado. He further said that some may have achieved the EF-5 rating, the highest possible that generates winds in excess of 200mph.

Recovery efforts across the nation’s South continue as resources continue to arrive. The Red Cross and other relief agencies were sending personnel from across the nation to help with search and rescue and to help with the distribution of water, food and other necessities.

Check out images and video of the tornadoes below

More than 1 million people were still without power this evening in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. The Browns Ferry nuclear power plant west of Huntsville lost power from the storms but was able to safely shut down.

Alabama announced 11 more fatalities bringing the state’s losses to at least 195. Overall at least 284 people across six states were killed making the disaster one of the worst tornado outbreaks in U.S. history. Only the “Super Outbreak” of 1974 caused more deaths.

Photo slideshow - Death and destruction in Alabama in the wake of tornado outbreak.

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walter Maddox said, “I don’t know how anyone survived.” The mayor toured his city by helicopter and was stunned by the devastation. “We have neighborhoods that have been basically removed from the map,”Maddox said.

States of emergency were declared in Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Georgia. President Barack Obama announced that he would speed federal aid to the disaster stricken region and would visit Alabama personally on Friday.

For complete coverage of the tornado outbreak, please visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.

Do you know what to do when severe weather strikes? Learn how to protect you and your family:

National Weather, Severe Weather

Good Friday tornado strikes St. Louis airport; Twister rated EF4

April 24, 2011 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

Extensive damage seen at St. Louis airport after tornado strikes. (Twitpic / LakishaJackson) — Extensive damage seen at St. Louis airport after tornado strikes. View more images in the slideshow below. (Twitpic / LakishaJackson)

Severe weather struck the St. Louis area Friday evening bringing large hail, damaging winds and powerful tornadoes. One twister tore a lengthy pass through the city hitting the airport and causing extensive damage to the facility and nearby homes.

The most significant component of the storm system was a powerful EF4 tornado packing winds of more than 166mph at its peak and causing damage nearly one-half mile wide at the widest point. Initially touching down west of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, the tornado followed a 22 mile long path destroying homes and causing extensive damage at the airport.

At the airport tornado sirens were sounded as the storm approached and many of the estimated 500 travelers at the airport sought shelter. The powerful tornado struck and blew out 60 percent of the windows in the main terminal building and partially lifted the roof on Concourse C.

On the grounds of the airport baggage carts were tossed about and the tarmacs were littered with debris. Parking areas saw cars smashed and thrown into each other like toys.

Residential areas to the west of the airport where the tornado first touched down bore the brunt of the damage, particularly in the community of Bridgton. Many homes were reduced to piles of wood and cinder while trees and power lines were downed.

After crossing the airport the tornado continued on its path damaging other buildings and homes. Extensive roof damage was caused to the First Baptist Church of Ferguson and a Little Caesars Restaurant saw its roof torn completely off.

The tornado then crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois. Three homes saw their roofs torn off while others sustained significant damage.

Despite the twister’s lengthy path of destruction and powerful nature, no fatalities were reported. At the airport five people were treated for relatively minor injuries.

Do you know what to do to protect yourself and your family when severe weather strikes? The same type of events that struck in recent days can and do occur in Colorado. Check out our Severe Weather Awareness series for more:

Severe Weather Awareness Week intro

Part I – Watches, Warnings & More

Part II – Tornadoes

Part III – Hail & Wind

Part IV – Floods & Flash Floods

Part V – Lightning

Severe Weather Awareness Week recap

Weather History

April 24 to April 30 – This Week in Denver Weather History

April 24, 2011 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

April 24 to April 30 - This Week in Denver Weather History

Weather in Colorado is always interesting but springtime can bring the entire gamut of conditions. Looking back at this week in Denver weather history we see just how varied this time of year – from flooding rains to heavy snowfall to severe thunderstorms it can and has all happened.

From the National Weather Service:

23-24

In 1883…snowfall totaled 7.6 inches in downtown Denver.

In 1904…a thunderstorm produced hail during the late evening of the 23rd. Apparent post-frontal rain changed to snow during the early morning of the 24th…but totaled only 2.0 inches. Precipitation consisting of rain…melted hail…and snow totaled 0.60 inch. Northeast winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts as high as 52 mph on the 24th.

In 1905…rain changed to snow and totaled 8.0 inches. Much of the snow melted as it fell with only 2.5 inches measured on the ground. Precipitation totaled 1.88 inches. Northeast winds were sustained to 20 mph on the 23rd.

In 1942…the South Platte River reached flood conditions in the city. As many as 15 thousand residents were warned to evacuate their homes temporarily. Two lives were lost in the city. Four bridges were washed out by the flood waters and other bridges were endangered. The damage was generally limited to bridges that were in poor condition. However…the flood waters did not overflow their channel banks within the city limits.

In 1980…heavy rain began in the eastern foothills on the night of the 23rd and turned to heavy wet snow on the 24th. Up to a foot and a half of snow fell in the foothills west of Denver. At Stapleton International Airport precipitation totaled 1.58 inches…but only 3.7 inches of snow fell from the storm. East winds gusted to 24 mph.

In 1997…locations in and near the foothills received the greatest snow of the year as a winter-like storm system moved into metro Denver. East to southeast winds at speeds of 15 to 35 mph were common with even stronger gusts above 9 thousand feet. Snow fell at a rate of 2 to 3 inches an hour as deep upslope combined with a moist and unstable air mass. The snow began in the foothills above 7500 feet during the evening of the 23rd. By sunrise the snow level had dropped to 5000 feet. The hardest hit areas extended from I-25 into the foothills. Snowfall totals in the foothills ranged from 1 1/2 to over 3 1/2 feet. In the city…snowfall ranged from 8 to 18 inches. Some snowfall amounts included: 36 inches at Coal Creek Canyon; 31 inches at Nederland and Wondervu; 20 to 24 inches near Blackhawk… At Echo Lake…and North Turkey Creek Canyon; 15 to 19 inches at Boulder…central city…conifer…Evergreen…Georgetown… And Louisville; 8 to 14 inches in Arvada…Broomfield… Westminster…Wheat Ridge…Castle Rock…and Ken Caryl Ranch. Only 2.3 inches of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport on the 24th. East winds gusted to 36 mph at Denver International Airport on the 24th.

In 2003…a strong and deep northerly flow circulating around a closed upper low pressure center allowed heavy snow to fall in the mountains and eastern foothills. Snowfall totaled 14 inches in Idaho Springs. Rain was mixed with snow and thunder across metro Denver. Snowfall was only 0.9 inch overnight at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Precipitation totaled 1.34 inches at Denver International Airport…where northwest winds gusted to 55 mph on the 23rd.

In 2007…a storm system intensified over southeast Colorado… Allowing for heavy snow and rain to develop over much of north-central and northeast Colorado. Severe thunderstorms preceded the storm system on the 23rd…affecting the urban corridor. Nickel size hail was reported in Boulder and a small landspout touched down near Byers. On the 24th…heavy snow fell in the foothills west of Denver and Boulder…where storm totals ranged from 1 to 2 feet. Heavy snow also occurred along the palmer divide…with storm totals of 10 to 16 inches. Elsewhere…a steady moderate to heavy rainfall was reported. Denver International Airport measured 2.09 inches of rainfall…which shattered the previous 24-hr record of 1.29 inches for the 24th of April. The heavy wet snow caused several power outages. In some instances it took several days to restore power. Several road closures were reported…including interstates 25 and 70. A jackknifed semi-trailer backed up traffic for nearly 20 miles…on southbound I-25…between Denver and Colorado springs. In addition…a 50-ton Boulder blocked the southbound lane of State Highway 285…near Parmalee Gulch. Crews had to use explosives to break up the Boulder and clear the debris. Stranded buses and impassable roadways also forced several school closures.

Continue reading April 24 to April 30 – This Week in Denver Weather History →

Natural Disasters, Thornton Weather, Weather Education

What not to do when faced with a tornado

April 18, 2011 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

When faced with a tornado what would you do? Do the smart thing and drop the camera and seek shelter.

Just as we were wrapping up Severe Weather Awareness Week on ThorntonWeather.com, disaster struck the nation’s south. Dozens of tornadoes brought death and destruction and at the same time Mother Nature allowed us to learn valuable lessons.

Extreme weather events have gotten more and more attention thanks to Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and other forms of social media. Television shows like Discovery’s Storm Chasers and shows on the Weather Channel feed a seemingly insatiable desire to see these events. They give the impression that anyone can stare down major storms with few repercussions but that is far from the truth.

Professional weather watchers, meteorologists and storm chasers cringe at some of what we see when these events happen. People with seemingly no clue of the destructive and unpredictable nature of what they are looking at put themselves in harm’s way for 60 seconds of fame.

The severe weather outbreak of recent days highlights the folly of those uninitiated and untrained in these phenomena. One particularly striking video has emerged of a man in Wilson, North Carolina watching as a tornado approaches, talking on the phone and shooting video.

The video (below) is scary to watch as the man is oblivious to what is coming toward him at 50mph. We implore all ThorntonWeather.com readers to do the smart thing – seek shelter when severe weather. Don’t become a statistic for a photo or a video.

For more on social media and the lessons that can be learned, check out this story from the Natural Disasters Examiner.

Weather, natural disasters & climate news and information.