Firstcoast411 Search
Sponsored by:
ABC Video Player - Watch ABC Shows Online ABC News Video Player WJXX ABC 25 Programming Schedule Watch NBC Shows Online WTLV NBC 12 Programming Schedule

Great Video: Lightning Hits Close to Home

 Gary Detman  Chris Turner  Erich Spivey     Created: 6/13/2009 10:00:46 PM    Updated: 6/14/2009 5:53:48 PM
Advertisement

EAST PALATKA, FL -- After 27 years with Florida Power & Light, Saturday night became the first time Jim Bailey felt scared about being around electricity.

He picked up a video camera to take some shots of the heavy rain and nasty storm that rumbled through his neighborhood.

"It just scared the pudding out of me," Bailey told First Coast News' Erich Spivey.

The hair on his arms started to twitch, and seconds later, a bolt of lightning hit a tree in Bailey's front yard. It blasted apart a chain that he strung up in the tree, sending sparks flying. Bailey had a birdfeeder on the end of the chain. It's gone, too.

"I was shocked," said Bailey. "I had a little shock on me. Man, I gotta sit down somewhere. That was way too close."

Bailey's video camera captured it all, including his stunned reaction which came a few seconds after the deafening strike.

Click here to submit your weather video.

If you have photos of weather to submit, click here.

Track severe weather in your neighborhood with the interactive iMap.

©2010 First Coast News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, or redistributed.



In your voice

Read reactions to this story