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Lightning strikes tree in Figsboro
George Hundley stands in front of a poplar tree Tuesday that was struck by lightning Monday in the backyard of his home on the 200 block of Lynn Court in Figsboro. (Bulletin photo by Mike Wray)
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
By ASHLEY JACKSON - Bulletin Staff Writer
Lightning struck a poplar tree in the Figsboro area Monday afternoon, slicing it through the middle and scaring “the living daylights” out of the property owner.
The tree in George Hundley’s backyard on the 200 block of Lynn Court in Figsboro was split by the lightning like it had been “struck with an ax,” from the top down to the bottom, Hundley said.
The tree was about 35 feet from his home, and there was no damage to his house or any place around it, he added.
Usually, Hundley sits out on the porch late in the evenings to enjoy the breeze, but on Monday, the storm kept him inside, which he was thankful for, he said.
He layed on his couch and listened to the storm. It was silent in his home so when the lightning struck, “it scared the living daylights out of me,” he said.
“It was an awful sound,” Hundley said, adding that it was so loud, he thought lightning had struck the house.
“It kind of shook me up,” he added.
The lightning struck between 4:30 and 5 p.m. Monday. Since the tree was wet, the lightning did not cause it to smoke or smolder, he said.
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