Freak lightning strike injures Iowa meteorologist
Imagine working indoors at your computer and realizing you’ve somehow been struck by lightning. That’s what happened to Jeff Johnson in Des Moines, Iowa around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. But, what makes the story especially intriguing is the fact that Johnson is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service Forecast Office there. He had been monitoring developing storms on the office’s radar console when a lightning strike outside the building apparently traveled indoors through electrical cables. Once inside, it made contact with Johnson and damaged the office’s Doppler radar and communications equipment employed in gathering storm spotter reports. Johnson was rushed to a local hospital but released in good condition later in the day. Incidents like this underscore the danger lightning can represent even when you’re indoors.