Biggest Lightning Strike Ever? Viral Clip Captures 10-Mile Bolt in New York

A video of a massive lightning bolt, said to be around 10 miles long, has gone viral on social media. The footage was recorded over Bayport, Long Island, by retired FDNY firefighter Kenny Gunther.

Gunther shared the clip with Islandwide Weather’s Facebook page, which called it, “ONE OF THE SICKEST BOLTS OF LIGHTNING I’VE EVER SEEN ON LONG ISLAND!!!!!!! Just south of Bayport, NY.”

Amazing: Man Recalls Experience of Capturing Lightning On His Phone

Speaking to the New York Post, Gunther said he was at home when he felt the floor shake under his feet. Moments later, a flash lit up the outside of his window. He quickly grabbed his iPhone, set it on his bedroom windowsill facing south, turned off all the lights, and began recording.

“I was just sitting there in silence when suddenly I saw that lightning. I thought, ‘Oh my God, I think I got that!’ When I watched it back, I couldn’t believe it. It was amazing,” he recalled.

The bolt was so huge that it couldn’t even fit fully in the frame. “It actually went out of view. That thing had to be 10 miles wide,” Gunther said. Surprisingly, it wasn’t followed by a loud thunderclap. “The one before that shook the whole house,” he added.

Netizens Taken Aback by ‘Craziest’ Lightning

Social media users who also witnessed the storm shared their reactions. One person from Holtsville wrote, “I’m pretty sure I saw the same bolt. It was horizontal just like that. I said, ‘Whoa, that was sick’ lol.” Another said, “Craziest thing I’ve ever seen! It lit up the sky in one spot, then rolled across and brightened the dark sky as it moved. A few seconds later, the thunder matched.”

A third commented, “It literally lit up my entire house. I thought a bomb had gone off. I didn’t know what to do.” Another added, “The lightning was insane! Our outdoor light sensor flickered nonstop with every strike.”

One worried viewer summed it up by saying, “Not sure this is a good sign for Earth.”

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