A bolt of lightning struck a dozen soldiers Wednesday afternoon at Fort Carson in Colorado, leaving one in critical condition, an Army spokesman said.

The 11 other victims were in stable condition, The (Colorado Springs) Gazette reported. It wasn't known if any were hit directly by the lightning.

The incident occurred 2-3 miles south of the Butts Army Airfield where the soldiers were taking part in training on a large, open field, Maj. Earl Brown, a 4th Infantry Division spokesman, told the newspaper. The soldiers were moving to shelter when the storm hit, the Army officer said.

"They were on their way to get to low ground, get into some vehicles and stuff, when they were struck by the lightning," Brown said.

"The cell basically built right over the top of Fort Carson."

It wasn't clear how much warning they had, he said.

"We have a big loud speaker and a siren goes off anytime there's a severe lightning warning in the area," he said.

Ten of the victims were taken to Evans Army Community Hospital and the other two to Memorial Central Hospital.

"Our hearts and prayers go out to the families when something like this happens, but Colorado is no stranger to lighting strikes," Brown said. "This is an unfortunate event."

Read more: /#ixzz2euJh8Qle

Two people died and three others were injured when lightning struck a barn in Buckeye, Ky., an emergency official said.

Eight men were working in the barn hanging tobacco leaves to cure Wednesday when the lightning struck, CNN reported.

Garrard County EMS Supervisor Tim May said the two dead were Bobby Maggard, 29, and Scotty Elam, 25. The identities of the three men who were injured were not reported.

Of those injured, one was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, CNN said.

May said the eight men worked for tobacco producer Wilmot Farms.

Lightning hit a tractor-trailer parked in a Miami yard Monday afternoon, killing a man taking shelter from the storm underneath and injuring his two companions.

The men had been pressure-washing the truck when the storm hit, WSVN-TV reported. Andres Telles, 31, the owner of the truck, died. Fidelmar Montero and Miguel Lopez, friends who were helping Telles with the job, suffered bad burns and were taken to Kendall Regional Medical Center.

Janet Suarez, who allowed Telles to park his truck on her property in southwest Miami, said she and her 16-year-old son heard a loud clap of thunder.

"We went outside, and all three of them were on the ground," she said.

Dominic Rodriguez, Suarez's son, said he and his mother, guided by a 911 dispatcher, tried to administer CPR to Telles.

A Washington state motorcyclist was confused about where he was after being hit by lightning while driving on the interstate during heavy rain, witnesses say.

Martin Zapalac, 41, of Winlock, said the motorcyclist had just passed him on Interstate 5 near the town of Chehalis when he was struck by a lightning bolt, The Seattle Times reported Thursday.

The motorcyclist, Michael LaDue, 59, of Tenino, moved across lanes to the right shoulder, where he collapsed, said Zapalac, who stopped to see if the biker needed help.

LaDue told Zapalac he couldn't hear what he was saying, and when he pulled off his helmet, Zapalac said the hair on the right side of the motorcyclist's head was singed and his ear was black.

"Why am I stopped here?" the motorcyclist asked Zapalac.

LaDue, followed by Zapalac and his wife, was able to get back on his motorcycle and drive to the nearest exit, where they waited for emergency personnel.

A store clerk at the exit said LaDue showed him his helmet, which was cracked on the inside and partially melted, KIRO-TV, Seattle, reported.

"He said he felt really, really hot and he grabbed my hand and he was really, really hot to the touch," said the clerk, Brandi Abrego.

LaDue was taken to a Seattle hospital where he was reported to be in satisfactory condition with non-life threatening injuries.

Hundreds of bird deaths were averted in a scene strangely reminiscent of 9-11 shortly after midnight on Sept. 12, when twin columns of bright lights that had attracted thousands of migrating birds from the sky above New York City were turned off several times to let the birds pass by unharmed.

The lights are the main attraction of New York City's annual "Tribute in Light" memorial to those lost in the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. However, the light show also is a seasonal hazard to migratory birds in a city with an estimated 90,000 bird deaths annually due to collisions with buildings.


This video by Andrew Farnsworth shows birds spiraling downward during the 'Tribute in Light' 9-11 memorial. Bird deaths were averted when organizers turned off the lights.

A geyser of floodwater shoots out of a drain in Manitou Springs, Colorado, as storms continue to dump rain over the region.


Colorado has been hit by flooding that was described as 'biblical' by the local weather service on Thursday.

As storm drains were overwhelmed by the downpour, pressure in the underground water system caused a manhole cover to blow off in Manitou Springs.

Amateur footage shows a fountain of black muddy water surging up to seven feet from the sewer system on Canon Avenue.

At least three people have been killed and and thousands of forced from their homes across the mountainous state, where floods have been exacerbated by wildfire "burn scars".

President Barack Obama signed an emergency declaration on Thursday night, freeing federal aid and allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts.

Aerial footage shows the scale of destruction caused by major flooding in Colorado.


Thousands of residents have been evacuated as major flooding hit a 4,500-square-mile area in the state of Colorado.

Aerial footage shows people being taken to safety in inflatable rafts, as entire houses were submerged by rising floodwater.

Cattle could be seen gathering on higher ground and some evacuees on horseback had to be escorted to safety through the deep water.

President Barack Obama signed an emergency declaration on Thursday night, freeing federal aid and allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts.

Four people have died as a result of the floods and local media reports say 172 people remain unaccounted for.

Boulder, Colorado -- As furious waters flow through flood-devastated northern Colorado, fears and tales of devastation grow.

At least four people have been killed and 218 are unaccounted for, officials say.

The nightmare is far from over as the state awaits more rainfall Saturday, threatening to send swollen rivers gushing through streets choked with debris. The rain is expected to come down heavy Sunday.

It will not be as much as the 15 inches dumped in some spots this week, but it could cause more flooding in areas where water has already receded, forecasters warned.

Emergency management officials on Saturday were trying to reach those who are missing to ensure they are not in danger. The number of missing is expected to decrease as the effort moves forward.

Residents got some relief Friday when rains subsided, giving a clear view of towns turned into abrupt lakes, homes and businesses inundated with muddy water and bridges devoured by raging creeks. Homes dangled off cliffs.

In Larimer County, there were 46 medical rescues on Friday, and teams continued looking for those unaccounted for on Saturday.

"We hope the worst has passed," John Schulz of the Larimer County Sheriff's Office said. "The water levels are receding, and it was a quiet night overall. We are expecting more rain tomorrow, but with the levels receding today we hope tomorrow is better."

Hundreds of residents were evacuated Friday, including 162 people transported by air from Jamestown because roads to the city were impassible, Boulder County EMS spokesman Ben Pennymon said.

Rescuers have retrieved the bodies of the four who died in the waters. Many more people are cut off by devastated roadways, and authorities don't know how long it will take to reach them.

'My mom's house is gone' Colorado flooding turns deadly Flood victim family: We made it

Gov. John Hickenlooper warned an extensive recovery is ahead for the affected area from the state's center into the northeast.

"This is not going to get fixed in a week," he said. "We have lost a great deal of infrastructure."

People who find themselves caught outside during electrical storms are cautioned to stay away from tall trees, and the accompanying footage provides explosive visual proof of why this is potentially life-saving advice.

A security camera in North Jackson, Tennessee, captured the violent strike Tuesday afternoon. We've provided a red arrow in the top image, pointing to what looks to be a lightning bolt running the down length of a large tree trunk (watch the footage carefully between 4 and 5 seconds).

Two tornado-like water spouts formed on Lake Michigan Thursday, posing little danger but prompting questions from curious onlookers. The waterspouts, funnel clouds that often form on the Great Lakes in the fall when cold air blows over warmer lakewater, are usually much weaker than land tornadoes.

Thursday's, which appeared off the western coast of Lake Michigan, north of Chicago, lasted about 15 minutes and caused no damage. "We did get a number of calls from people who wanted to know what was going on," said Kenosha, Wisc., Police Capt. Tom Hansche. Students in Kenosha Unified School District began emergency weather precautions but returned to class after about 20 minutes.