A powerful bolt of lightning cracked through clear, blue skies and killed David Canales, 41 of West Miami-Dade.
The self-employed landscaper was working in the backyard at a Pinecrest home at 10500 SW 62nd Ave. [MAP/SAT] when the lightning struck a tree and bounced to David Canales.
Weather data showed that lightning activity was north of Pinecrest in the downtown Coral Gables area [DISTANCE MAP].
Bolts out of the blue are deadlier and form differently. Most lightning bolts that form under the base of a cloud carry a negative charge, but ”bolts from the blue” have a positive charge, have 10 times the current, and are hotter and last longer.
The bolts out of the blue often travel horizontally away from the storm and reach farther from the storm cell than typical lightning and finally divert to the ground.