Florida lightning crawlers offer dazzling welcome

It’s always difficult adjusting to the routine of regular life when I get off the road. Storm chasing embodies freedom for me – the ability to go wherever I wish, according to nature’s whims, to follow the weather. I am totally immersed in my passion. I love being at home, too, but my attentions are fragmented. I have to work to earn a living, acknowledge bills and deal with the drudgery that comes from basic life maintenance. (Though laundry follows me even on the road.) At least Florida offers storms in the summer, although the photo opportunities are more scant than you might think, especially for lightning.

Last night, I headed out in hopes of catching some lightning in a severe storm that was approaching the east-central coast. Most of the bolts seemed buried in rain, and I was preparing myself for disappointment. I decided to give it a few more minutes in case it went into anvil-crawler mode, and I was pleasantly surprised by a handful of spectacular crawlers. See all the photos here. I recommend clicking on the thumbnails and viewing the large images as a slide show so you can see the detail in the bolts.

In the meantime, I’ve updated my 2012 chase reports and photos from Tornado Alley, but I still have a couple of videos to add. In between the obligations of reality, that is.