Lightning strike explodes tree as shrapnel flies toward Louisiana woman, video shows
Following a bone-shaking crack of thunder, a lightning bolt struck a Louisiana tree, causing it to explode and send shards of branches in all directions, video shows.
Sarah Ribardi can be seen standing on the front porch of her Morgan City home Aug. 7 when Mother Nature made herself known, according to Storyful. Ribardi immediately ducked and ran inside when she heard the blast from her next door neighbor’s tree.
“God was definitely with us!” she wrote on Facebook. “One step closer and I would have been seriously injured! Glad our neighbors and family are okay!” The video has been viewed 50,000 times as of Aug. 10.
A video of the aftermath also posted to Facebook shows the victim tree sliced in two and a home’s busted window. Ribardi shared a photo of the inside of her bedroom filled with splinters of wood.
No one was injured, but Ribardi told 4WWLTV that four homes were damaged in the area.
The local news outlet’s meteorologist Alexandra Cranford said “a single bolt can pack well over a billion joules of energy. That much energy would keep your bedside lamp going for up to half a year.”
This story was originally published August 10, 2020 at 7:33 AM with the headline "Lightning strike explodes tree as shrapnel flies toward Louisiana woman, video shows."
