# I pit thunderstorms. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 17, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793 "2013-07-17T21:55:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/1 "2013-07-17T21:55:45Z")
UGH! There are few things I hate more than thunderstorms. I don’t like being outside in thunderstorms. It’s fucking dangerous. You could easily get hit by lightning. And I don’t like getting wet, it’s often too windy for an umbrella, and my backpack isn’t completely waterproof. Thunderstorms are annoying if you’re inside, too. I don’t like sudden loud noises. And I have to turn off the computers when there’s a storm outside. And there is a chance, however small, that lightning could still strike your house. Also, they cause the power to go off sometimes. Which means that if it’s off for a long time, the food and drinks in the fridge can go bad. I had an odd thought today - maybe people who like thunderstorms are rich people who can afford to replace food that goes bad in case of a power failure. Also, there are too many thunderstorms in the summer. Bah. I don’t think there’s a single thing I like about thunderstorms. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/2 "2013-07-17T22:07:06Z")
Sympathies, certainly. I know it can’t be fun. I have known dogs and cats that simply panicked during thunderstorms. (The dogs howl in misery; the cats just hide under the bed.) The fact that a storm brings a small but real chance of property damage or injury just makes it all worse. For what it’s worth, I love a good thunderstorm! I adore them! If it’s warm, I’ll go outside and get rained on, and watch the lightning. It’s exciting. The risk is real, but small enough that I can enjoy the thrill. It’s like the Fourth of July, thrown by mother nature. Brighter and louder than any fireworks show! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/3 "2013-07-17T22:09:29Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > You could easily get hit by lightning. And I don’t like getting wet, it’s often too windy for an umbrella, and my backpack isn’t completely waterproof. I’m always meaning to look up the stats on lightening strike. I spend hundreds of hours on the water and usually cut return to shore very close. I’ve had lightening strike close by, but never been hit. And rain feels so good when you are hot and sweaty! Sorry for the threadshit. (Can you threadshit in the pit?) ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/4 "2013-07-17T22:15:20Z")
I typically don’t mind a nice thunderstorm now and again, but this has been the soggiest summer I ever remember - storms every day, rivers flooding, yard and flowerbeds overgrown every 4 or 5 days. And the poor dog is just terrified. It just started thundering for today’s installment of “how much fucking rain are we getting this time?” Poor Dora is a barking, drooling mess, and wants to sit her 125# ass either on me or under my chair… Plus, yesterday’s lightning storm sparked two house fires here in town, and my old work buddy is now somewhat homeless until repairs are made. ---
**Author:** ![sylmar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@sylmar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sylmar)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/5 "2013-07-17T22:25:12Z")
Would it be possible to [nourish](http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/lightening-helps-fertilize-soil/) tolerance ? ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/6 "2013-07-17T22:48:41Z")
[This might help.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9PnNW56bp0) ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/7 "2013-07-17T22:53:29Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I’m always meaning to look up the stats on lightening strike. I spend hundreds of hours on the water and usually cut return to shore very close. I’ve had lightening strike close by, but never been hit. And rain feels so good when you are hot and sweaty! > > Sorry for the threadshit. (Can you threadshit in the pit?) Another thing I hate is that so many people think that “lightning” is spelled “lightening.” They’re both valid words, but they’re not the same word, people!:mad: ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/8 "2013-07-17T23:32:30Z")
I love thunderstorms! I love the boom and flash, and the sheets of wind-tossed rain. (I don’t tend to go out in them anymore, because when you do that as an adult people think you’re mad and they begin to talk.) The power and majesty of a proper Midwestern thunderstorm is awe-inspiring. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/9 "2013-07-17T23:34:43Z")
I know I’m the only one who hates thunderstorms. We had a [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=693768) about liking thunderstorms. This thread here is not the thread to gush about thunderstorms - the way I see it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/10 "2013-07-17T23:47:23Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > I know I’m the only one who hates thunderstorms. We had a [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=693768) about liking thunderstorms. This thread here is not the thread to gush about thunderstorms - the way I see it anyway. Huh. So I actually agreed with **LonesomePolecat** about something after all. Errmm…sorry, **EmilyG**. But as an apology I will offer up that if you hate thunderstorms you might consider moving to the SF Bay Area. They are rather rare out this way. Our rainy days just tend towards the dreary rather than the dramatic. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/11 "2013-07-18T00:30:04Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > I know I’m the only one who hates thunderstorms. We had a [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=693768) about liking thunderstorms. This thread here is not the thread to gush about thunderstorms - the way I see it anyway. Well, it’s traditional in Pit Threads. Someone says, “I hate Oreo cookies.” Guaranteed, twenty people will pop up to say, “That’s your opinion; I love 'em!” I respect your opinion. I hold a very different one. You get to start a pit thread on anything you want. You do not get to tell the rest of us that we can’t post in disagreement. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/12 "2013-07-18T00:44:20Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > … > You get to start a pit thread on anything you want. You do not get to tell the rest of us that we can’t post in disagreement. I disagree with that! (Actually, I do agree with you. 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5ac83/32.png) [@The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mad_Hermit)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/13 "2013-07-18T00:48:03Z")
If you can figure out a way to do something about thunderstorms, you’re way ahead of the game. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/14 "2013-07-18T01:02:48Z")
The scary thing about lightning is it’s unpredictable and comes out of clouds. I’d like it far better if it would just shoot from my fingertips. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/15 "2013-07-18T01:26:17Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > The scary thing about lightning is it’s unpredictable and comes out of clouds. I’d like it far better if it would just shoot from my fingertips. That’d be fun. Then I could hide up in a tree during a rainstorm and if I saw someone I didn’t like, who just happened to be walking beneath the tree, I could zap 'em.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/16 "2013-07-18T02:04:35Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > I disagree with that! > > (Actually, I do agree with you. 🙂 ) The dickens of it is, there are things that bug me as much. I’m hellishly arachnophobic, or substantially emetophobic. The other day, I was out shopping, and there was a live band in the parking lot, amped up so loud, it was literally too painful for me to go to the store. I drove away (fast) literally weeping in physical pain from how damn loud it was. So, seriously, I do sympathize. The world is cruel. I know the band didn’t mean to hurt me. But, damn, they did! So, at least you have that consolation: the thunder isn’t aimed at you personally. (Unless, y’know, you somehow got Thor mad at you. You haven’t told the “I’m tho thor I can hardly pith?” joke lately, have you?) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/17 "2013-07-18T02:14:17Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > Another thing I hate is that so many people think that “lightning” is spelled “lightening.” They’re both valid words, but they’re not the same word, people!:mad: You just almost made me say that word you were just discussing. Can I say that?😃 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/18 "2013-07-18T02:15:20Z")
Spell checker said ok, whom am I to argue? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/19 "2013-07-18T02:17:40Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > The scary thing about lightning is it’s unpredictable and comes out of clouds. I’d like it far better if it would just shoot from my fingertips. The unscary thing is that I’ve convinced myself it’d be quick. (I’ve considered the specifics of death by lightning strike while paddling furiously for shore) (often) ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793/20 "2013-07-18T02:56:50Z")
I grew up in Houston and live in Dallas. I can’t get worked up about thunderstorms at all, unless they wake me up in the middle of the night. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-thunderstorms/663793.md?page=2)