Lightning Struck Twice Yesterday

Ouch! On the one hand, the weather has gotten a smidge cooler (kinda) thanks to the incredible storms that have been passing overhead the past two days. On the other hand, lightning bolts from those same incredible storms have now put not one but two people in the hospital.

First up was Queens landscaper William Garcia who was struck by a bolt yesterday morning while parking his lawnmower. "The strike sliced the mower's seat, shredded Garcia's baseball cap, severed several of his fingers and threw him about 50 feet." Neighbors collected Garcia's missing fingers (one mused that the keys to the lawnmower might have been what conducted the lightning and sliced off his digits) and got him to a hospital where he is currently on a respirator.

Six hours later, as was pointed out on Contribute, a man walking with his daughter on E. 99th street was struck by another bolt. A bystander told the Daily News:

"We saw a big strike of lightning wrap around the light pole and grab the guy. It sounded like big firecrackers," said Dontaye Waters, 14, who was buying fruit at a nearby market. "He shook really hard and then dropped head first."

The gentleman in question is currently in Mount Sinai and is reportedly in stable condition. But these lightning storms are going to be around for the rest of the weekend, so, uh, be careful?

Also, want to see what a tree looks like after it's been struck? click here.

Strike by michaelbrandon via Contribute.