I don't know about you, but growing up thunder and lightning scared the crap out of me. Like most kids, the loud sounds were enough to send me to the closest windowless room with as many of my stuffed prized possessions as possible (by the way, it was typically about 12 stuffed animals, my cat and the radio shoved in the upstairs bathroom until the storm was over.)

Needless to say, I've grown up a bit since that time and storms are more fascinating to me than anything else. That's of course, until I'm forced to sit in the middle of a storm doing a live broadcast at Countryfest like last year (see that story here.)

But imagine this, you're away from the storm. You're safe inside at your job, getting your work done. You shouldn't have anything to worry about, right? I mean, again, you're safe inside, what's to worry about other than maybe traffic on the way home?

Well, for a man in Rochester on Monday, there was quite a bit to be worried about, I guess. Nick Gemayel, the owner of AutoWerks was sitting at his desk while lightning struck outside his building. The lightning traveled inside! Seriously!

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Not only did the lightning travel but it shot out of a light switch and hit Gemayel in the hand and he had to get to the hospital to be checked out. He told News 10 NBC in Rochester,

"My muscles started contracting and tensing and very foggy thinking. I started to feel very strange. Then my hand started to blister. You don't feel like yourself."

The lightning didn't just affect Gemayel, the strike also knocked out power, burned out wiring, computer and telephone systems.

By the way, according to News 10, Gemayel was diagnosed with a type of electric shock induced muscle breakdown, but he's going to be fine with rest and fluids. Considering what could have happened with a lightning strike, something tells me he got off pretty easy!

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