5 May 2025: Lightning sparks off Florida’s Space Coast

We desperately need rain here on Florida’s Space Coast, and our neighbors got some today. But the storms avoided our house and all our thirsty plants. I didn’t try to chase them until I saw an “electric brain” of a storm sparking offshore, so I headed out to try to snap a few photos.

The thing about Florida storms is that they usually don’t last long, so I didn’t think it would be wise to drive all the way to the beach from the mainland to photograph it. I figured the cell would be dead by then. Instead, I found a spot in Rockledge on the bank of the Indian River Lagoon. There was some cloud clutter in the way, but the storm shot out some pretty nifty bolts regardless.

I was less than prepared. I had to crop the photos because I only brought one wide-angle zoom and the storm was a bit too far away. Obviously, I haven’t readied my gear for the Tornado Alley storm chasing trip yet, but that’s on the agenda this week. My storm-chasing partner Alethea Kontis and I will head out west soon. We’re looking for the next promising system. Stay tuned for more updates!