Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
If you have been living under a rock lately, you might not know that there have been a massive amount of intense summer storms rolling through the upper Midwest. Here in central Illinois, we have been getting absolutely hammered by unpredictable weather, and yesterday was no exception. We are used to heavy rain and loud thunder, but what happened last night in our backyard was on a completely different level.
It all started when I thought I heard something massive happen right outside. I am talking about a rather earth-shattering kaboom that shook the house. We had to go out and check it out the next morning because I was almost certain that we had experienced a direct lightning strike on the property. And sure enough, stepping out into the backyard, past the bunnies scattering into the brush, the evidence was right there waiting for us.
Before you judge the state of my lawn, I have to apologize for the overgrown grass. Between dodging these constant rains and coming and going to different conventions over the last couple of weeks, my yard work schedule has been completely derailed. It has been incredibly busy, but this backyard discovery took priority over mowing. We actually, really did have a lightning strike right back here.
I have never actually seen a lightning strike hit something in person, so assessing the aftermath was fascinating and terrifying. The victim of this massive electrical discharge was one of our two cherry trees. Looking at the splintered wood and destruction, it is wild to see what nature is capable of doing in a fraction of a second. However, upon closer inspection of the blast zone, it almost looks like the tree was already dead inside—kind of like me on a Monday morning. The core was hollowed out, making it the perfect target for the storm.
One of the scariest parts of this ordeal involved our ten-year-old Borador, Molly. Molly is a tough girl and has never, ever been the type of dog to get scared or shake during bad weather. Thunderstorms usually do not bother her in the slightest. But right after that massive lightning strike hit the cherry tree, she instantly started shaking. It was heartbreaking because we had no idea why she was suddenly so terrified until we put two and two together. She kept trembling nonstop until the rains finally passed. It just goes to show how intense that pressure drop and the sheer noise of the strike must have been to rattle a dog who has spent a decade completely unbothered by storms.
Thankfully, despite the dramatic explosion and the loss of the cherry tree, nothing of any real importance was hit. The house is perfectly fine, the rest of the yard survived, and Molly is back to her usual happy self now that the skies have cleared. Over the next couple of days, I will be out here breaking down the remains of the tree, chopping up the wood, and getting this mess cleaned up and hauled out. It is definitely going to be a bit of a project, but it is just another part of homeownership and dealing with Midwestern summer weather.
This whole experience really got me wondering about all of you watching. Have you been dealing with any sorts of intense summer storms here in central Illinois or wherever you happen to be located? Have you had any crazy property damage, fallen trees, or incredibly close calls with lightning strikes like this one? Have you ever actually seen a lightning strike happen in person, or just dealt with the aftermath the next day like we did? Let me know down in the comments because I would love to hear your crazy weather stories. Stay safe out there, keep an eye on the skies, and give your pets an extra hug when the thunder starts rolling in.
Thanks for watching, and remember that Mother Nature always has the final say!
#LightningStrike #SummerStorms #CentralIllinois #MidwestWeather #TreeDamage #StormDamage #Borador #DogReaction #ScaredDog #BackyardStorm #WeatherUpdate #LightningKaboom #StormCleanup #SevereWeather #Nature
If you have been living under a rock lately, you might not know that there have been a massive amount of intense summer storms rolling through the upper Midwest. Here in central Illinois, we have been getting absolutely hammered by unpredictable weather, and yesterday was no exception. We are used to heavy rain and loud thunder, but what happened last night in our backyard was on a completely different level.
It all started when I thought I heard something massive happen right outside. I am talking about a rather earth-shattering kaboom that shook the house. We had to go out and check it out the next morning because I was almost certain that we had experienced a direct lightning strike on the property. And sure enough, stepping out into the backyard, past the bunnies scattering into the brush, the evidence was right there waiting for us.
Before you judge the state of my lawn, I have to apologize for the overgrown grass. Between dodging these constant rains and coming and going to different conventions over the last couple of weeks, my yard work schedule has been completely derailed. It has been incredibly busy, but this backyard discovery took priority over mowing. We actually, really did have a lightning strike right back here.
I have never actually seen a lightning strike hit something in person, so assessing the aftermath was fascinating and terrifying. The victim of this massive electrical discharge was one of our two cherry trees. Looking at the splintered wood and destruction, it is wild to see what nature is capable of doing in a fraction of a second. However, upon closer inspection of the blast zone, it almost looks like the tree was already dead inside—kind of like me on a Monday morning. The core was hollowed out, making it the perfect target for the storm.
One of the scariest parts of this ordeal involved our ten-year-old Borador, Molly. Molly is a tough girl and has never, ever been the type of dog to get scared or shake during bad weather. Thunderstorms usually do not bother her in the slightest. But right after that massive lightning strike hit the cherry tree, she instantly started shaking. It was heartbreaking because we had no idea why she was suddenly so terrified until we put two and two together. She kept trembling nonstop until the rains finally passed. It just goes to show how intense that pressure drop and the sheer noise of the strike must have been to rattle a dog who has spent a decade completely unbothered by storms.
Thankfully, despite the dramatic explosion and the loss of the cherry tree, nothing of any real importance was hit. The house is perfectly fine, the rest of the yard survived, and Molly is back to her usual happy self now that the skies have cleared. Over the next couple of days, I will be out here breaking down the remains of the tree, chopping up the wood, and getting this mess cleaned up and hauled out. It is definitely going to be a bit of a project, but it is just another part of homeownership and dealing with Midwestern summer weather.
This whole experience really got me wondering about all of you watching. Have you been dealing with any sorts of intense summer storms here in central Illinois or wherever you happen to be located? Have you had any crazy property damage, fallen trees, or incredibly close calls with lightning strikes like this one? Have you ever actually seen a lightning strike happen in person, or just dealt with the aftermath the next day like we did? Let me know down in the comments because I would love to hear your crazy weather stories. Stay safe out there, keep an eye on the skies, and give your pets an extra hug when the thunder starts rolling in.
Thanks for watching, and remember that Mother Nature always has the final say!
#LightningStrike #SummerStorms #CentralIllinois #MidwestWeather #TreeDamage #StormDamage #Borador #DogReaction #ScaredDog #BackyardStorm #WeatherUpdate #LightningKaboom #StormCleanup #SevereWeather #Nature
