Here's my Lightning horror story. About 4 years ago, my wife and 3 daughters were at the barn feeding the horses one evening. They had delayed the feeding because of a thunderstorm overhead. They waited in the house (200 feet away from barn) about 30 minutes after the storm had passed then went out to feed, the sky was now clear.

They are just finishing up when my wife feels something strange in her long hair, like when you rub a balloon in your hair, and she smells something like an "electrical" smell.

The 3 daughters are all in one stall hugging and brushing their favorite horse, with the youngest sitting on the horse bare-back while the other two are giving it treats. My wife says, "Hey, hurry up and get in the house, I feel something strange!" The 4 of them close up and run into the house.

My wife's father is in the house and asks, "What are you guys running from?" My wife says, "I felt an electricity in my hair and it smelled funny too..."

He says, "Nonsense, you are just paranoid, stupid women..." and he starts to walk out to the barn.

He gets about 3 steps out the back of the house and KA-BAM!! A HUGE bolt hits a tree right at the back corner of the barn, and ran down into the barn [we think, can't be sure where it hit].

He jumps back in the house and they wait another 5 minutes then they all go to the barn to check on the horses.

Well, that Favorite horse is dead on the ground, eyes wide open. The horse across the aisle is on his knees trying to get up but can't. He is dazed and his head is hanging down, just bobbing back and forth, he's drooling and incoherent. The other horses are all spooked and jumpy but otherwise fine.

Now here's the "Thank God for Catsailor" part. About a week before this barn strike happened I was reading a post here on Catsailor about a guy who had been trailering his boat through a thunderstorm, then when he got to his destination, he got out of his car and felt the static and smelled the electric smell. He got back in his car just before a bolt struck his boat or near it.

I had told my wife his story as that day we were having a thunderstorm [Florida is number 1 for lightning strikes in the world] and we were talking about lightning strikes. After the barn incident she told me that she remembered that story I had told her, and that is why she told the 3 girls to run into the house.

I belive that post on Catsailor actually saved my 3 daughter's lives.

Thank you Mary and Rick for keeping this board alive and free as a place to share good information.