Great Plains Region, Central Oklahoma

 Great Plains Region, Central Oklahoma

the bolt hit near the same line where the rainbow touched the ground, lighting up a lone tree in the open field. For a second, the entire scene flashed white, the colors of the rainbow and the jagged lightning path appearing almost fused together in the same vertical line of light.

Rain had just passed through, leaving moist air and drifting droplets behind .. perfect conditions for a rainbow. At the same time, the storm core was still active, sending powerful cloud-to-ground lightning across the plains. The result was a rare overlap: sunlight from the setting sun behind observers creating the rainbow, while the thunderstorm ahead delivered the strike.

The fire at the base of the tree burned briefly in the wet grass before rain and damp soil helped keep it from spreading far. Locals watching from nearby roads described the moment as “beautiful and terrifying at the same time.”

It lasted only seconds, but the image of color and electricity sharing the same stretch of sky is something people in the area say they’ll never forget.