FORT MORGAN, Colo. — A Fort Morgan man had a close call with lightning Friday evening, and it was all caught on his home security camera.
Around 5:50 p.m., the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a severe thunderstorm warning for central Morgan County. The storm was predicted to bring 60 mph wind gusts and small hail.
The video begins with Ryen Kahl pulling into his driveway as the rain comes down. He gets out of his truck and starts to head inside.
As Kahl walks from the driver's side to the front of his truck, lightning strikes a tree in the front yard.
- Watch the moment in the video below
The strike sends bark and other debris flying from the tree. Thankfully, Kahl was not hurt.
The tree did sustain damage. Check out a before and after in the photo slider below:
According to the NWS, no place outside is safe when thunderstorms are in the area. If you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to strike you.
If you hear thunder, you should immediately move to a safe shelter. Some safe shelters include a "substantial building" with electricity or plumbing, or an enclosed, metal-topped vehicle with the windows up.
If you are caught outside and cannot seek shelter, the NWS offers these tips:
- Immediately get off elevated areas such as hills, mountain ridges or peaks
- Never lie flat on the ground
- Never shelter under an isolated tree
- Never use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter
- Immediately get out and away from ponds, lakes and other bodies of water
- Stay away from objects that conduct electricity (barbed wire fences, power lines, windmills, etc.)
For more tips, click here.
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