At about 4:26 PM on Saturday afternoon, the weather turned TOO EXCITING near Ravenna Blog HQ. Lightning struck a tree just a couple hundred feet away, sending bark flying, hearts pounding, and causing a small power outage.
Engine 16 stopped by to check things out briefly. A light smell of wood smoke hung in the air, and a homeowner nearby mentioned a cracked window.
Power was lost the instant the lightning struck, but the outage looks to be a small one, affecting around 60 households.
Good to see you, too, Seattle City Light!
UPDATE (5:37 PM): On that lightning strike/power outtake just north of Green Lake:
On scene where lightning hit church no injuries 2×4 hole no power pic.twitter.com/KhzV4m0Ac8
— Henry Rosoff (@HenryRosoff) March 30, 2014
UPDATE (6:15 PM): Estimated time of restoration for the Ravenna outage is around 1:30 AM, but you should check back here later for updated information.
Interesting info on what happens to a tree struck by lightning and whether or not that tree can survive. http://essmextension.tamu.edu/treecarekit/index.php/after-the-storm/tree-damage-and-hazard-assessment/understanding-lightning-and-associated-tree-damage/
Thank you, Tiff! Hard to tell how much damage this tree withstood in the pouring rain. You can see the main injury in the picture above, but it seemed as though there were some cracks extending downwards, too. Neighbors will have to get it checked out for sure.
I had no idea RB HQ was so close to my house! I am about 300 feet from that tree. The boom was very loud indeed. It shook the house and gave me quite a start. Fortunately we didn’t lose power.