Record-Breaking Lightning Strike Spans from Texas to Missouri

In what might be the wildest news I’ve ever reported on, a world record lightning bolt was recently discovered.

Discovered by Satellite, Years After It Happened

Oddly enough, the bolt occurred on October 22, 2017, but was only recently discovered using satellite data, according to Popular Science. The bolt, known as a “megaflash,” was a whopping 515 miles long, spanning through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed it’s the longest single lightning flash in the United States.

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The previous record actually happened after the massive “megaflash.” Before the recent discovery, the record had been a 477-mile-long bolt that extended across the southern United States during a storm in April of 2020.

Can You Imagine a 515-Mile Lightning Bolt?

I don’t know about you, but I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around a flash of lightning extending 515 miles. When I first read the tweet below, I did a double-take. You talk about a huge flash of lightning. Imagine the damage it could do if it struck something, if that’s even possible. Admittedly, I know very little about meteorology. 

But it’s no surprise that it happened over this part of the country. Lightning and severe weather, in general, are kind of what we’re known for.