This is an incredible picture of a “bolt from the blue” lightning strike from downtown Houston Tuesday. Quentin Dunn sent this to me from his office with downtown in the distance. It appears the lightning hit the TC Energy Center. Jenny Knickerbocker, who works next to this building, said this bolt scared her.
What is a bolt from the blue?
Strikes from the front of a storm cloud are called bolts from the blue. These strikes can travel as far as ten miles ahead of the rain, they are seemingly “out of the blue.” These are the most dangerous strikes because many times there is no warning that storms are approaching.
Positive strikes are stronger than negative strikes:
There are two types of lightning that reach the ground. Positive and negative lightning strikes. Bolts from the blue are positive strikes.
Positive strikes are stronger due to their higher energy and current levels, longer duration, and the fact they originate from higher altitudes within the thunderstorm. Positive lightning strikes carry a peak current, around 100 kA. Negative charges are around 20 kA. Positive charges come from the higher parts of thunderclouds leading to a longer path and greater energy release. Positive strikes are also brighter and more intense generating more heat and light.
Here is a short video I made explaining what a bolt from the blue is:
When thunder roars go indoors:
Lightning deaths have been going down since the inception of the lightning safety initiative of “When thunder roars go indoors” This simple message has saved hundreds of lives since it started in the early 2000s.
Sadly, people are still struck by lightning and perish from the strike. The one death in Texas this year was a 7-year-old girl from Bryan. She was reportedly outside a home at the time of the lightning strike.
Texas is second in the nation in terms of lightning deaths, now with 40 confirmed deaths since 2006. Florida leads the nation with 89 confirmed deaths since 2006, including one this year.
So when you see us show lightning on our live Storm Tracker 2 Radar, remember the safest place to be in inside your home, office, school or car. Never get caught out in the open during storms. If you can see lightning or hear thunder, the storm is close enough to be dangerous.