Lightning question

[The Insurance Guy]

So last night the storm blew in on us pretty quick. I had my wife and two kids in our bow blind. It is an elevated box blind with a metal frame covered in plywood that sits on top of 10 foot of scaffolding.

Lighting struck VERY close. I’m talking blinding light and defening sound at the same instance. I made the decision to sit it out. We would of had to run 150 yards and drive a mile back in an open utv.

Two questions did I make the right decision?

What would of happened if lighting hit the box blind?

[ShaBow]

I have gotten down out of tree stands and layed down away from trees to wait out storm.Im not gonna say you made the wrong decision cause that lightning may have struck where I would have been laying. Lol!

[Big pig]

I would have bailed earlier. I watch the radar a lot. Glad y’all are safe.

[CRM_95]

If you didn't have time to leave I think you did right. Probably safer to ride it out there than get 2 kids out, run that far and then ride back in it. Glad things turned out ok.

[ken]

The safest place would probably have been under the blind. Lightning strikes the highest point then jumps to the next highest point until it finds its way to ground. If lighting hit your blind it would hit the top of the blind and follow the metal framing into the ground.

You might have been o.k. inside the blind if lightning struck it as long as no one was touching the metal frame.

The weather channel phone app now shows lightning strikes so you can judge if lightning is coming toward you or away. I use it and it helps with stay or bail decisions.

[Ryanm]

I've wondered this myself. Had a storm blow in quickly when I was in my wood elevated box blind during a pig hunt a few months ago. Lightning hit a tree about 100 yards away. Ended up bailing to my truck 200 yards away.

No cell service in my spot. Thunder started last night as I was walking back to hunt in a tree. Glad a decided not to go, heavy storm rolled in 20 minutes later. It wasn't supposed to rain at all...

[The Insurance Guy]

The safest place would probably have been under the blind. Lightning strikes the highest point then jumps to the next highest point until it finds its way to ground. If lighting hit your blind it would hit the top of the blind and follow the metal framing into the ground.

You might have been o.k. inside the blind if lightning struck it as long as no one was touching the metal frame.

The weather channel phone app now shows lightning strikes so you can judge if lightning is coming toward you or away. I use it and it helps with stay or bail decisions.

I’ll check out that app! Thank you.

I did make everyone put on their shoes and stay in the middle of the blind. I was watching radar but had little service and it wasn’t working great. It looked like it was going to skirt by us and didn’t look bad at all until the lightning struck so close

[warrington]

The safest place would probably have been under the blind. Lightning strikes the highest point then jumps to the next highest point until it finds its way to ground. If lighting hit your blind it would hit the top of the blind and follow the metal framing into the ground.

You might have been o.k. inside the blind if lightning struck it as long as no one was touching the metal frame.

The weather channel phone app now shows lightning strikes so you can judge if lightning is coming toward you or away. I use it and it helps with stay or bail decisions.

If lightening would have struck the top of the blind and you were underneath it. It would have run down to the ground and hit you all and you all would have been dead. We lost a group of cattle under a tree one time. Hit the tree, ran down and killed all them

I would have gotten out and left if it was lightening that bad

[glen]

It is unknown what would happen. It didn’t so that is the good thing. Lightning strikes do very strange things to people and objects. If you could have got into vehicle and sat it out that is one of best places. uTV is fine. Those tires should protect you from the current by theory

[Playa]

I personally think anywhere around that metal tower was probably the worst place to be

[ken]

If lightening would have struck the top of the blind and you were underneath it. It would have run down to the ground and hit you all and you all would have been dead. We lost a group of cattle under a tree one time. Hit the tree, ran down and killed all them

I would have gotten out and left if it was lightening that bad

Different situation. The tree was the high point but cattle conduct electricity better than the tree so the electricity jumped from the tree to the cattle. Metal conducts electricity better than either so it would take the electricity straight to the ground. That is how a lightning rod/arresting system works.

I'm not advocating hunting in a blind during a lightning storm but if he had to get the family across an open field the family would be better under the blind than in an open field. The better answer is to leave before anyone gets in that situation.

[texan4ut]

Ya'll are alive I guess it was the right decision.

[Acameron52]

That’s scary. I don’t mess with bad weather, specially lighting. If I’m out and it starts rolling in I’ll usually high tail it. Of course you don’t always know what’s going on, and we all know how fast crap comes together in Texas. I’ve been caught before and always made the decision to high tail it to the truck if it’s close. If I drove my fourhweeler to the stand I’ll sit it out.

[hef187]

I wish I could check an app... No service out at our place

[4dog]

if you see lightning flashes coming your way,,you are already in the situation of possible strike....if i hear thunder and see flashes .. i bolt out...there is always another day.