Possible Lightning Strike At WDW

[greenmom2b]

We have experienced lightning strike at a WDW resort and it is newsworthy when you go thru it!!! June 2014 at Art of Animation resort, not cloud nearby, hot hot summer afternoon, literally just walked in the resort door and dropped in bed for nap. And BOOOOM!!!! It hit roof AC unit in Finding Nemo wing, they had to evacuate and move guests to other rooms as the AC unit was toast. From now on, I have new found respect for the lifeguards who say get out of pool when their detectors go off or they close rides. It was scary dry lightening!!!! Growing up on farm we knew to watch for lightning with storms but this was just so different.

 

[hertamaniac]

Not sure why I’m quoted. I am on the side that it is news.

Perhaps it was a misunderstanding about hurricanes in the Gulf not being news? I know I was personally effected by several hurricanes that hit FL (especially Irma), but didn't take your comment personally or not having compassion.

 

[hertamaniac]

We have experienced lightning strike at a WDW resort and it is newsworthy when you go thru it!!! June 2014 at Art of Animation resort, not cloud nearby, hot hot summer afternoon, literally just walked in the resort door and dropped in bed for nap. And BOOOOM!!!! It hit roof AC unit in Finding Nemo wing, they had to evacuate and move guests to other rooms as the AC unit was toast. From now on, I have new found respect for the lifeguards who say get out of pool when their detectors go off or they close rides. It was scary dry lightening!!!! Growing up on farm we knew to watch for lightning with storms but this was just so different.

Valid point. It is similar to when the boat transportation is shut down and I don't see the storm clouds hovering over-top. When I spoke to a captain at DS, when all I wanted to do is go back to my room at OKW, he told me if there is a lightning strike within XX distance, they are mandated to stop all boats.

 

[DLgal]

Lightning can strike from 10 mikes away. It's scary.

However, does it surprise anyone else that they evacuated people OUTSIDE during, presumably, a pretty major thunderstorm. Seems risky.

 

[hertamaniac]

Lightning can strike from 10 mikes away. It's scary.

However, does it surprise anyone else that they evacuated people OUTSIDE during, presumably, a pretty major thunderstorm. Seems risky.

Think of it from this standpoint, what if the lighting strike caused a resort fire? I was there and the storms were fast passing. So, if they sounded the fire alarm, honestly I would have felt safer leaving any resort as their contingency plan was well thought out.

 

[gap2368]

Lightning can be scary I had a huge oak tree get hit in my back yeard traveled halfway down the tree then jump to the deck where it traveled down a rope light we had and took the 4X4 at the other end of the deck and make it a 1 X 2. went into my house and took out some TV DVR computers thank God the house did not catch on fire. I can so see the fire alarm going off at the hotel.

And this is not the first time this tree has been hit by lighting or the tree next to it ( we do hight lighting rods in the tree now and let me tell you just about every light storm the tree get hit and it scares me every time, so for you that normally do not get light strick close to you it still scares the you know what out of me.

 

[writerguyfl]

However, does it surprise anyone else that they evacuated people OUTSIDE during, presumably, a pretty major thunderstorm. Seems risky.

That was my reaction, as well. I made that very comment on another website and someone who was at the Resort when the evacuation happened responded. She or he said they were evacuated to the Convention Center, not outside.

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"Insider" Tip from a Former Cast Member (me): If you see Cast Members closing down an outdoor retail location in advance of a storm, follow their lead and get inside immediately. Disney management only shuts down their cash registers in extreme circumstances. When that happens, it means someone reasonably high up in the chain of command thinks the impending storm is dangerous enough to stop making money.

 

[RescueRanger]

Perhaps it was a misunderstanding about hurricanes in the Gulf not being news? I know I was personally effected by several hurricanes that hit FL (especially Irma), but didn't take your comment personally or not having compassion.

Yes, I think they missed Rteetz sarcasm in his post. He was responding to the poster who was claiming lightning wasn’t news. There is one in every thread. It bothers them that it is reported yet they seem to have the time to respond. They could just not read it and move on to something else.

 

[manning]

Lightning can strike from 10 mikes away. It's scary.

However, does it surprise anyone else that they evacuated people OUTSIDE during, presumably, a pretty major thunderstorm. Seems risky.

If you are outside and hear thunder you go for cover. Even if there aren't any clouds in the sky

 

[Alicenwonderment]

Lightning scares me. In high school and college I worked at a water park. During thunder and lightning storms we would make an announcement to tell everyone go to their cars to wait out storm. Unfortunately not everyone listened. In one storm the main building's generator got struck by lightning and the people that didn't leave the park were blocking our way trying to get out of the building. When the fire alarm went off we needed a police officer to push through the crowds so we could get out of the building. The employees then took shelter in the life guard shack until the storm passed. Oh you know the saying that lightning alone strikes the same place once? Well that building was hit twice within a few summers. Now I really don't like being out in thunder storms.

 

[Magic Fanatic]

Lighting strikes WDW almost every day during the summer. This isn't news

Question, Did the Disboard conduct a poll of its members and determine that “unbanshee” was now the one person that is authorized to determine what is and what is not news? My guess that someone that is not from Florida (and it’s weather patterns) that happened to be in a hotel that gets evacuated from a lightening strike might consider this news.

 

[Q-man]

I was there in 2015 around this same time in May when lightning hit a palm tree at the front of Hollywood Studios and caught on fire. We were standing across the street from it and I'll never forget the sound. I was already afraid of lightning, but after that you'll never catch me outside in a storm It was the only time I've been genuinely afraid at Disney.

With lifeguard training you'll never venture outside until observed lightning/thunder reports are at least 20 minutes apart.