Southeast Alaska rarely has thunderstorms - they say there's not enough variance between the upper and lower air - but when it does, it can be a doozy. Coming from the west across ocean water there is nothing to affect it, I guess.

Once, when I was living at a house museum, I had served tea and cookies and five of us were sitting at table. The air was black outdoors.

Suddenly there was a crack! and a fireball came through the window, passed between two of the guests, traveled into the next room and vanished with a snap!

One shaken woman said, I'm from Kansas and I've never seen anything like that.

That same strike traveled into the house upstairs and burnt out my computer, which I had to replace. It also went into the computer room of the State Office Building (which we call the SOB) and wiped out their voicemail system.

I do NOT like lightning.