BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Did the thunderstorms early Thursday morning in the Maryland and DC metro area wake you up from a deep sleep? Well, you weren’t the only one.
Hundreds of lightning strikes were captured on radar and with it came the rumbling and crackling of thunder, stirring many Marylanders awake from their deep sleep. Some on social media are describing the thunder sounds as small explosions.
READ MORE: Maryland Weather: Muggy & Cloudy With Showers Later“The thunder was so loud last night I thought the earth cracked open,” said Twitter user ClassicShaina.
That thunder was so loud last night i thought the earth cracked open 💀
— Shaina 👑 (@ClassicShaina) August 6, 2020
“That thunderstorm last night/this morning — y’all I thought it was the rapture. I jumped up so quick,” tweeted Tamara Pierre.
That thunder storm last night/this morning — y’all I thought it was the rapture. I jumped up so quick. 🥴
— Tamara T. Pierre, BSW (@tamaraapierre) August 6, 2020
Others also tweeted about how loud the thunder was as well, believing it may have been an explosion.
“Last night I woke to get a snack and heard the loud a** thunder. I remember thinking “D*** God mad as s***”. Then I fell asleep,” Parada45 tweeted.
Can we talk about wtf that was last night? I have never heard no ish like that. I really thought something was happening at the Pentagon bc it sound so unreal to be thunder and lightening.
— 45 gotta go. PERIODT. (@0hbetave) August 6, 2020
Yoo this thunder is insane and just woke me up!!!
— LVNDR BLACK ✊🏿 (@lvndrbeauty) August 6, 2020
This is single handily the craziest rain I’ve ever seen. So loud and hard it woke me up from my heavy sleep. Crazy bright lightning and loud thunder.
Hope Ellicott City gets through this.
— Nick Lorensen (@nlorensensports) August 6, 2020
In one five-minute span there were 156 lightning strikes, Meteorologist Tim Williams said.
READ MORE: Here Are The Remaining Supreme Court Cases This TermNortheastern Baltimore County — like Essex and Middle River — really got hit hard.
Williams said the unique sound created by the thunderstorm wasn’t due to any specific weather phenomenon, but instead due to the rate and frequency of the lightning strikes.
He also said the thunder sounded like it was low to the ground.
The lightning did cause a fire in Essex when it struck an apartment building. Twelve families are now displaced.
Stay up-to-date with the latest forecast by downloading the WJZ weather app.
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