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This is what happens when you can’t sleep and you’re still on a kick to get more lightning shots.  This turned out to be a trip to where I was as close to lightning strikes as I have been on a chase.  Lightning was hitting the ground within 500 feet of the car.  One hit even less than that!  My brother accompanied me on this chase, making this is first time out.  For a rookie video man, he did good, especially holding his own when I fishtailed the car!

The first bolt takes aim at a target about a quarter mile away.  The first frame (top left) shows the initial frame when the bolt was about to strike.  The second frame (top right) shows the blinding light as the main bolt connects with the ground.  The third frame shows the tornado-like bolt flashed out by the brilliant light.  The final frame shows the lightning-wedge-tornado again lighting up the night sky.

Something to notice: The street sign in the first picture is highlighted with a blue hue from the bolt.  Notice is the three subsequent shots how it is no longer highlighted, even as the sky behind it is set ablaze.

The second bolt hits nearly a minute later.  We had obviously gotten under the main lightning shaft of the storm.  After this bolt had drilled the earth less than 1000 feet from the car, we watched the main strikes behind us as we headed west.  In the first shot, you can see accumulated hail from the storm on the side of the road.  Incredible how a single bolt can turn night into day.