Some scary lightning

[halhiker]

Hiked up to San Jacinto today and had a little too much excitement on the way down. I went with my youngest son and a friend and for a few moments it was just a bit scary.

We were heading down from the cabin when it started to rain. By the time we got to the turn to head over to the Miller Saddle we started to have some lightning in pretty close proximity with thunder following flashes within 3-4 seconds. While looking for a good place to try to survive, my friend says, "My hands are starting to tingle". Not 10 seconds later we had a simultaneous flash and thunderclap and my son said he saw the lightning in front of us. We crouched under a stand of trees near some bushes for a bit until we felt it was OK to continue down--and our hearts had stopped racing--and then went down to the Jean Peak Gully rather than continue over toward Wellman Divide. For a few moments there it was quite scary and not something I want to do again.

It was pretty amazing how quickly it came upon us and I did see some pretty wild lightning bolts hitting down in Tahquitz Meadow. Tahquitz was not happy today, at all. I'm glad it ended ok and we have a story to tell but I'll definitely think twice if there's even the slightest hint of a thunderstorm. Some people might think it'd serve me right to be hit by lightning and I don't ever want to give them the satisfaction of it ever happening.

[Ulysses]

Sounds like you had quite an exciting afternoon. I was Idyllwild in the morning and heard some thunder. On the way down the mountain on HWY 74 going towards Hemet I saw a good size area of smoke near the Chimney Flats area SW of Idyllwild not near any roads or structures. Probably started by the lightning.

[Sally]

Whew, scary indeed! Glad you and friends are OK.

[jnj86]

I sat in my back patio for about an hour and watched the lightning as it made it's way from San Jacinto, then across the Banning Pass and finally up towards San Gorgonio. It looked like it was really dumping too over San J and Black Mtn.

Glad you are okay.

[Pitownpi]

Quite a day yesterday for lightning...there were strikes from what seemed like minimal cloud cover. ie SUNSHINE RAIN AND LIGHTNING!

I received a serious shock yesterday from a strike that hit the ground 1/2 to 1 mile away in a wet dry-lake bed.

It felt like the ringing of sticking one's finger in an electrical outlet. BUT more of an impulse...the lightning distracted me to look at it, but I had the reaction to pull my hand off the grip due to the shock!

went up my left hand to the elbow....I was on a motorcycle pretty much soaking wet.

years ago, in Alabama, I was working on a 1972 duster (slant-6, 225cu in., 3-speed on the column!) laying underneath and the wrench in my hand was 1 inch from the frame when lightning struck across the road.

I saw a nice wide spark clear the gap from the wrench to the vehicle , however, felt nothing!!!

yesterdays shock will keep me further away...One doesn't have to be close to get killed!

looks like they juiced it up for the rest of the week.....this time though seems more dangerous. be careful out there.....I'd stay off any peaks/ridges till next week or beyond current threats


Here's a Lightning Safety guide from NWS
Myth: It’s not raining here, and skies above me are clear, therefore I am safe from lightning.
Fact: Lightning can strike many miles away from the thunderstorm. If storms are in your area, but skies
happen to be clear above you, that certainly does not imply you are safe from lightning. Though these
“Bolts from the Blue” are infrequent, lightning strikes 10 to 15 miles away from the storm are not out of the
question.
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/gid/WCM/safety/lightning.pdf

[Ellen]

Howdy Hal and Pi

YIKES Glad you're OK and thanks for the heads up.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[neverwashasbeen]

I spent most of the day over at Suicide rock and we got to experience the T-storm from a ring-side seat, so to speak. I was glad to see the lightning hitting the ridges around us, although that didn't spare us from the noise.

It's getting pretty active on the mountain as I write this.

[Perry]

From Indio yesterday I saw lightning strike the peak saddle area in multiple places at once, including approximately where the trail junction is. Glad you guys are okay.

[Florian]

Looking up from Palm Springs this evening there is a small lightning strike fire on the mountain south of Tahquitz Creek somewhere around the 6000' level. But through telescope i can see the headlamps of firefighters on the scene!! Yay!

-Florian

[cynthia23]

Wow, that was a close one, Hal! Glad you're okay! Pitownpi (did I spell that right?) I didn't know you could get a shock from a strike so far away--that's more than I realized and further motivation to stay away from lightning storms.

re: possible fire--I was briefly up on the mountain today and while in the tram waiting room thought I overheard (Okay, I was snooping) some talk of a fire. However when I asked the ranger up above she didn't know anything about it. ??

Anybody have anything to add to the rumor mill?