Watch: Lightning Forces Storm Chaser Into Vehicle In East Texas

Lightning strikes got a little too close for comfort for a storm chaser in Douglassville, Texas. Atmospheric scientist Matthew Cappucci uploaded the video from his East Texas chase to X (formerly Twitter) last Friday, April 4.  

The clip begins with him calmly explaining what is going on with the massive “mothership” supercell rotating over Douglassville. However, things quickly take a frightening turn when you see a flash of lightning behind him in the distance, followed by a loud thunderclap. That’s when he wisely dashes to the safety of his vehicle. 

LOOK: Wild Display of Lightning in Texas Sky

We Texans are notorious for going outside to see for ourselves when severe weather rolls into the area. And there’s nothing like a nearby lightning strike to send you scurrying back into the house, so I can most certainly sympathize with Matthew. To be honest, he hung outside much longer than I would have. 

Our society heaps a lot of praise on our military members and first responders (and rightfully so). But I feel like we could probably lump storm chasers into that group as well. Those folks risk their lives to report the weather so the rest of us have plenty of time to seek shelter when the sky starts to darken.

NEXT: Do Storm Chasers Need a License in Texas?

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