VIDEO: Cedar Park couple surprised by sudden lightning strike
CEDAR PARK, Texas - A massive lightning strike was captured on a Cedar Park couple's backyard camera, as well as the pair scrambling for cover.
Kellen Wilson submitted the video to FOX 7 Austin, saying that the video was taken at the couple's Forest Oaks home by their backyard Nest camera, which faces north towards Whitestone Boulevard in Cedar Park.
Wilson told FOX 7 that he and his husband got the alert for the storm from the FOX 7 WAPP and were trying to bring in items from the patio ahead of the storm to try and minimize possible damage.
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"We hadn’t heard or seen any lightning until that point or we wouldn’t have gone outside at all," Wilson said. "Mother Nature let us know real quick she wasn’t playing around."
Wilson says that while they do "get a pretty decent lighting show" when storms come through, they have never experienced something that close and loud.
"It set all the car alarms off in the area and shook the house," Wilson said. "This was the first time the bolt lasted long enough for the Nest camera to actually capture it. Pretty cool looking back but I don’t want to experience that again anytime soon."
In the ten-second video, you can see the pair walking in the backyard and hear a loud crack of thunder as a lightning bolt streaks through the sky. The couple then dives for cover.
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Wilson said terror was his immediate reaction and that he and his husband didn't think twice and just ran inside.
"We were looking [in] that direction so the lightning bolt was still visible when we closed our eyes after we came inside. Like a camera flash," Wilson said. "Could see the bolt turn from white blue to orange as it hit. Light first then came the massive crack and boom."
"I think this particular experience was a solid reminder that lightning is really beautiful but no joke," Wilson said. "Especially when it’s that close. Next time we get the alert we will not be trying to go out and get anything. Not worth the risk."
He said his heart was racing for a while after the experience.
Severe weather has been rolling through Central Texas Thursday, with quarter to golf ball size hail seen so far in photos and videos from Burnet County and Williamson County.
Track your local forecast for the Austin area quickly with the free FOX 7 WAPP. The design gives you radar, hourly, and 7-day weather information just by scrolling. Our weather alerts will warn you early and help you stay safe during storms.
