As you know, we are having a drought here in California.
Which means, any time that water falls from the sky
that makes the news.
Recently a big wind brought a big dust of off the construction site
and then large raindrops began falling from the sky.
Last time there was a rain shower, I went outside and washed my car
in the rain
because that is all the water available for washing cars.
So on Tuesday, I was going outside to wash the car
in the rain
when suddenly there was a flash and a boom.
They say that you can tell how far away the lightning is
by counting the seconds between the flash
and the boom.
This time, the boom seemed to have happened first,
because we humans can hear faster than we can see.
The lightning had struck a tree on the edge of the parking lot.
Very close to the building.
The lightning stripped the bark and some wood from a nearby tree.
Here is a close-up of the damage to the tree.
Lightning also
struck
a steel-reinforced cinder block wall.
Here is a close-up of the damage to the wall.
I did NOT go outside and wash my car that day!
fin