BRIER — A Brier man had an electrifying experience during the short but strong storm that burst into south county Sept. 1.
It all started with a phone call from his son in Seattle at about 2 p.m., warning his father, Jerry Dotson of Brier, that an ugly storm looked like it was coming his way.
Dotson, who works as a programmer in his home in the Dundee development of the city, went upstairs to unplug his computer, then leaned over his back (aluminum framed) window — arms crossed, to enjoy the peaceful view of the rain coming down hard through his forest of a backyard.
“I was thinking we wouldn’t lose any trees in this storm because there was no wind, just rain coming straight down hard,” Dotson said.
No sooner, he said, was the sound of a whip cracking.
“It was precise, immediate and short,” Dotson said, “I looked over and the middle of the tree was a white, hot ball of electricity and then it instantly exploded.”
Pieces of the tree, which was no more than 20 feet away from where he was watching, flew at least 100 feet in all directions. And then, he said, it was all over in an instant.
“It wasn’t scary to me – I just thought it was very awesome,” he said.
Jerry and his wife Marcy have lived in the same house in Brier for 35 years. Originally from the Midwest, the Dotsons said they love thunder and lightning storms and always enjoy watching the very large and tall trees sway in their backyard, which divides the cities of Brier and Mountlake Terrace.
“So when it happened I was just awestruck and thought this is one in a million that it would happen in my backyard and another one in a million I would be watching it,” Dotson said.
But even after this he didn’t think it was especially newsworthy and had no idea how it affected the rest of his neighborhood in the Dundee development of Brier.
According to residents in the development, something electrical was damaged in every home about two blocks in all directions of the Dotson house, including at least 20 houses, he said.
Everything from televisions and telephones to stoves and garage door openers were hampered because of the lightning strike.
The Dotson’s next door neighbors Jeff and Sarah Thompson were hit the hardest in the neighborhood and were fortunate their house didn’t catch on fire.
“We’re really lucky,” Thompson said, “a part of the rug was burnt and the house was filled with smoke when we got home.”
A floor lamp with a full- length paper-like fabric shade was shredded and its light bulb exploded because of the strike, and it’s cord was also fried, he said. They also had some bricks knocked off their fireplace, a tile broken on their floor, a wood door frame cracked and their exercise machine computer was internally burnt up along with their whole electrical system. As of the Enterprise deadline, one week later, the Thompson’s still didn’t have any electricity.
“The other interesting thing was that (the lightning strike) went through the cable line along with the electrical system and took care of the TVs that way and then followed the cable line through and out to the front yard and burnt four holes in the grass,” Thompson said.
“That surprised me, I had no idea it affected so many people,” Dotson said.
The other people in the neighborhood didn’t understand why Dotson wasn’t more surprised about the event.
“(Jerry) was so calm and we were all like ‘Oh my God—Oh my God,’” said Dundee resident Wanda David.
“I heard a big boom and a crack and it shook so much I thought it must have been at the neighbor’s house it was so loud,” David said. “I didn’t realize it happened all the way down the street.”
Dotson said he doesn’t remember it shaking.
“But it must have because we had pictures off the wall and a little figurine had fallen over,” he said. “I must of had sensory overload.”
It was lucky he or anyone else wasn’t hurt during the rare event.
Dotson said he asked his wife if she thought it effected him in any way.
“She said my kisses were more electrifying …,” he smiled.
Within about 10 minutes after the strike, the sun was back out and Dotson was outside taking pictures.
He added, “I also called my son to thank him for the warning.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
