Close call! Video shows lightning strike right outside Port Charlotte home

Reporter: Gail Levy Writer: Matthew Seaver
Published: Updated:
Moments before a lightning strike in Port Charlotte. (Credit Lenny Martire)

The sky illuminated with lightning for those in Port Charlotte on Thursday. One resident even captured a bolt of lightning striking right off their porch.

“It woke me straight up out of sleep and it was like a light, then a crackle and then it really slammed the floor,” said Lenny Martire who is no stranger to lightning striking near his home.

That lightning slammed the ground right outside Martire’s Port Charlotte home. The strong crackle woke him up and made him go back and check if his camera caught it.

“It had captured basically what looked like an explosion across the street. It’s not the first time, the camera has actually caught a couple of really nice lightning strikes to be honest.”

But the strikes the camera didn’t catch still stick with him.

Martire said, “we’ve literally had a strike in our front yard and it’s pretty bad then. It was on the other side of the camera so we never captured that one but yeah it was like we’re at shook the glass you know you can almost hear crack almost. It was so bad.”

All across Southwest Florida Thursday, downpours, lighting and thunder consumed the afternoon.

Some strikes even took out power lines and started small brush fires.

“Most people, make sure that they’re safe out there when it comes to that kind of weather. That stuff can do some good damage,” said Martire.

If you’re outside and you see lightning nearby it’s always best to head indoors if you can.

If you happen to get caught in a lightning storm while you’re on the boat it’s best to go into the cabin if there is one or try to stay as low on the boat as possible.

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