4 Critically Hurt During Apparent Lightning Strike Near White House

But more so in Montgomery County to the north/west than actually in the city.

I actually live in Montgomery Co. and where I am it's been thunderstorming/raining off and on for awhile, but I didn't see any lightning.

all the time. It's just wild! I had to commute down there a few times a year as a fed before I retired (and one year, was down there every month for 9 months straight, taking a training course). Over the years, my car(s) knew how to get there from here in Philly, on their own!

My 'burb borders Rockville and I go through there all the time.

I used to work in DC (I'm also a retired Fed!) and sometimes ate lunch in Lafayette Park, that's another reason I really gasped when I saw the news.

Rockville Pike (with the hours-long lights) was always "under construction"!

Traffic on the beltway was always a given though so whenever I was leaving from down there to come home, I told my boss that I needed to be out of there and on the road NLT 2 pm or I was screwed!

although I know the cost of living down there was always higher.

And yes I was READY to go!

My commuting days are over!

as long as it was sunny to partly sunny 2-3 days in a row I knew I had a very good chance of no rain, no storms. 👍

🤔 Possibly one March or demo we got some rain. I didn't care if it was cloudy bc I wasn't there for good weather.


The only time I had a bit of a concern was visiting the Clinton WH American Crafters Christmas celebration. I was staying over at someone's house overnight. The rare snow wasn't supposed to start until the afternoon, but my host informed as I got up for breakfast around 9AM that there was a half inch on the ground already! And I had to walk a bunch of blocks to get the bus where I was in Georgetown.

Luckily I didn't slip and fall anywhere at any point. I had on sneakers, and walked carefully. When I was on the subway at 3PMish all the federal workers were going home.

By the time I was ready to go back to NYC later on there was ?3-?4 inches on the ground on The Mall.

and I think it has happened enough times now that the "1 snowflake freakout" that goes on down there, is now to the point of ridiculousness!

When I was commuting down there one week a month for about 9 months almost 15 years ago, part of that occured in January/February/March and I was glad those designated weeks were generally snow free (both here and down there).

You were lucky, then.

I love Philly.
My sib was there for about 10+ months.
Visited her a few times. Went to the celebrated (outdoor food) Market at least once; saw The Liberty Bell, and always visited the then famous street that had a ton of cool stores for Crafts, clothes etc. Walked around the area that had Historical Town houses. Of course, I did have one Philly Cheese Steak on one visit. 😁

Her half basement apt faced a corner where the
Trolley turned! Obviously she got used to it.

Good times! 👍🧡

and I post on a weather forum that has a lot of snow lovers and they were whining at all the storms that were shifted south of here and into the central midatlantic area (MD/VA & northern NC). In fact, even Atlantic City (which is SE of Philly) had more snow than we did.

Wish I could find the tweet but NWS Mt. Holly had tweeted out a snowfall totals chart around the end of the 2022 met winter period!

And LOL at the trolley. When I was really little before moving to another house, I lived on a little street where the trolly rolled to go to another street that headed right to an access to the depot to do its turn/loop. I remember times in winter when the trolley was stuck on the street in front of our door (especially in winter).

Wow, about Atlantic City getting more snow!

We went to Atlantic City when I was a ?tween, maybe a bit younger. I looked it up on G maps bc I didn't realize it was where it was.

Then I was very surprised to see one of our last family vacations was to Wildwood NJ even further south!


I'm a bit of a weather buff. I've always loved clouds (I draw them in my landscape art); and enjoying the Earth Sciences (and Space Sciences) I've read about clouds, and weather.

Still looking for Mt. Holly's summary but did find a NJ.com graphic -



I ended up with about 16" where I live.

Philly is about 60 miles NW of of AC but those of us who aren't annual trekkers to the shore, do tend to head to Wildwood because of the piers and amusements. Of course any trip to AC would also be for the casinos, although now that PA has full legalized gambling (and casinos at selected locations around the state including 2 here in Philly), AC's casinos have lost most of the Philly gamblers (including the seniors who used to hop the $10 bus that gave them $10 in quarters back every day and had their "regular" slot macines that they would station themselves in front of ).

especially in AC!

Hopefully those 16" we're taken care of, or melted on the faster side. 👍

The only time I ever played the slots...
I was gifted a short vacation to Puerto Rico. I was in the area east of San Juan. I chose the hotel bc they had an organically shaped pool which was very cool! My 2 disappointments were...
1) not swimming up to the bar on a day I was fully there. When I swam up on the morning I was leaving the bar wasn't open yet. 2) I've always wanted to see/be in the 🧡turquoise, teal waters of the Caribbean, and I was! Only because I was on The Atlantic side the water wasn't clear with the saves churning up too much sand. Still the color was glorious! Even the deep water was a more vibrant dark blue sort of Ultramarine-ish. All in all I had a *wonderful* time!

And I did play the slot machines! 👍😄 That was pretty fun. I think I won back 25$.

is the temperature as well as the color and the coral sand. I've been to the Bahamas twice and to Jamaica and it's really nice. Hawai'i is similar but with more opportunities to go snorkeling.

I know you had a ball!!!! i remember what are now I guess the "old days" where you put coins in the slots. I don't even think they even do that anymore. As it is, I haven't even been to either of the casinos here in Philly yet.

The first "blink my eyes" moment was - I went in March so walking out of the airport into the very warm, and slightly humid air was a bit of a shock even knowing it would be like that!

And beautiful green trees, and palm trees, and oh, a whole lot of Bourgenvilia flowers (a favorite of mine)!

I had to check the NYC temps on the TV. I apologized to my Tri-State area bc there were having a colder run in the lower 20°F's, and I laughed at the week forecast. I was there 🧡 4 days, 3 nights.

We've had a pretty big Casino somewhat further out in Queens (the Burrough). Maybe one day... Until then the Mohegan Sun hotel in Connecticut had one, and may have been the closet until this one was built.

And, yes....yes I did use those metal flat circles embossed with designs, and denominations to play the slots!

.

Just saying, "Some crazy orange man is on the golf course a lot, with a lightening rod IN HIS HAND. It would improve the WHOLE NATION if the stink of his person hood was seared into stone so it couldn't waft all over the country."

Or even just that Governor who doesn't believe in Democracy any more and just suspends and appoints people to do his bidding.

Really, Lord, one well placed lightening strike for either would truly improve morale for millions.

WHY let honest people get hit when there are so many MAGATs out there?

I am a few miles north of there, but for many years ate my lunch most days there, so it caught my eye. Thunderstorms were rolling through, and I had to stop mowing, but it wasn't that bad at my place. Radar showed a different story. In any case, here is an article from local news radio WTOP:

https://wtop.com/dc/2022/08/4-people-in-critical-condition-after-lightning-strike-near-white-house/

to smite the blasphemer.

it was bright and loud and lots of it

I was just saying that Dems have been enjoying some wins this week with Kansas, and Sinema, and more info on DoJ and Jan 6 committee, and Alex Jones…

Is this supposed to be a sign or something…..?

Thoughts and prayers to the victims and their loved ones….

It was close to the statue of Andrew Jackson. God is pissed off At Andrew Jackson because Of how he treated the American Indians. W

And that someone is still living it up at Mar-a-Lago.

far away. Think of thunder as an early detection device that lightning is in your area.

A tree is the tallest structure, generally, in your immediate area, and you are the 2nd tallest.

I cannot remember where I saw the doc about Lightning - Nova? Discover Science? I'm sure youtube will have the doct - and the newest advances and findings that have been discovered.

The safest place outside during thunder/lightning (other than your auto) is either in a ditch or to squat with your heels up and Do Not Touch the Ground with Your Fingertips while squatting in a field with no trees around.

Science started stepping up when 13-ish kids were either struck or killed when playing a soccer type sport and they all ran and huddled under the tree when it was struck by lightning.

The doc should really be shown to kids in 6th-ish science class since that is when they really start to be away from home and they need to be alerted to dangers of thunder/lightning. They can also presage tornadoes.

I'm fixin' to do a search to see if I can find the doc. Highly suggest showing it to your family - forewarned is fore prepared.

Here's a link for teachers:

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/education/earth/lightning.html

Not INONI. Please feel free to repost in GD.