May 31, 2006.
Gunterville, Alabama.
There are times I look at some of the storm related photos and think 'Well, the tree was dying anyway. " But the fact of the matter is, as long as a tree has a healthy canopy it is alive and vital and although the tree in this picture seems to have some issues it was very much alive with a good canopy. It split all the way to the ground. A tree this size isn't destroyed that easily. Lightning. Very powerful lightning. It struck the high canopy and traveled all the way to the ground. The area where it is dark and looks like a type of disease may very well be the burnt path of the lightning. Weather is serious business these days. It's random and severe. People need to be cautious and aware.
