Lightning Strike in Maine, February 22, 1997

Very rare wintertime thunderstorms with powerful lightning struck the Moosehead Lake area, as well as much of northern and western Maine. Numerous positive strokes of lightning occurred. One stroke hit an tall pine tree on an island in the Lake, following the tree to the ground, and blasted a 4 ft by 4 ft hole in the granite. Shattered rocks weighing over 100 lbs were found 75 yards out on the ice with smaller rocks out 200 yards. Seven ice fisherman about a a quarter mile away were affected by the electrical discharge. One person was reportedly thrown five feet into the air as a side finger of the lightning struck the snow mobile sled he was riding in. Three were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, while four others felt tingling and/or experienced severe headaches. About 2 miles from the lightning stroke, snow mobile races were being held on the southern end of the lake. Although no one sensed any electrical current from the lightning discharge, the RADAR gun used to measure spreeds and the helmet microphones/earphones went dead. The racers did, however, report hearing a frying sound their earphones before the lightning struck and the earphones went dead.