Have you ever been near a lightning strike?

It was a dark and stormy afternoon in Waterbury...

And I lost my tv service, landline, and wifi! NOOOOO! It was blinding, and the house shook like I've never felt before. I've heard close strikes many times, but this was obviously something different. I didn't get hit as bad as another family down the street though, their house took a direct hit, and it fried almost all of their electronic devices. A local tv station camped out in front of my house, but I resisted the urge to be on camera. The worst thing about a very close lightning strike? It scared the bejeezus out of my Chihuahuas! Poor little guys, they were little shivering piles of fur. Awwwww.