...
...
Next Story

‘Not sure this is a good sign for Earth’: Long Island man captures ‘10-mile-long’ lightning bolt

A former firefighter recorded the lightning video while he was at his home. He said another lightning bolt made his house shake.

Published on: Aug 17, 2025, 11:39:32 IST
Advertisement

A video of a lightning bolt, which reportedly was 10 miles long, captured by a former firefighter, has surfaced on social media. Recorded over Bayport, Long Island, the video shows the bolt illuminating the night sky.

A huge lightning bolt that shocked the firefighter who captured it. (Facebook/Islandwide Weather)
A huge lightning bolt that shocked the firefighter who captured it. (Facebook/Islandwide Weather)

Retired FDNY fireman Kenny Gunther shared the video with Islandwide Weather’s Facebook page. “ONE OF THE SICKEST BOLTS OF LIGHTNING I'VE EVER SEEN ON LONG ISLAND!!!!!!! Just south of Bayport, NY,” the page wrote.

Also Read: Insane dashcam footage shows lightning striking pole, turning it into fireball in South Carolina

According to a report by the New York Post, Gunther was at his home when he felt the floor under his feet shaking. He then saw a flash outside his window.

“I just grabbed my iPhone and I just stick it on the windowsill in my bedroom facing south with their widest angle, and I just had it record,” he said.

He added, “I turn all the lights off and I’m just sitting there quiet. And then all of a sudden I saw that lightning and I said, ‘Oh my God, I think I just got that!’ And I went back and watched it and I said, ‘Holy cow, that is freaking amazing.'”

Also Read: Monsoon horror: Lightning hits palm tree, viral video leaves viewers in shock. Watch

An individual wrote, “I’m pretty sure this was the bolt I caught in Holtsville. Horizontal just like that. I said ‘Whoa, that was sick’ lol.” Another added, “Craziest thing I’ve ever seen! It lit up the sky in one spot and then just rolled across, lighting the dark part of the sky as it went along. Then, a few seconds later, the thunder matched!”

A third expressed, “Literally lit up my entire house. I thought a nuke dropped. I didn’t know what to do.” A fourth remarked, “The Lightning was insane! Our outdoor light sensor flickered like crazy every time a bolt shot across the sky.”

A worried social media user commented, "Not sure this is a good sign for Earth."

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Trisha Sengupta

Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Notifications

Get breaking alerts directly from the newsroom

Notifications are on!You'll be notified when news breaks