Imagine surviving a lightning strike once... Now, picture it happening again. This is the extraordinary reality for Kimberley artist Jeanne Barnes, a woman who has defied astronomical odds not once, but twice. It's a tale that's both shocking and strangely captivating.
When the thunder rumbles over Kununurra in Western Australia, Jeanne Barnes knows to take shelter. "If there's lightning, I run into the house," she admits. "I don't think it's gonna be third time lucky somehow." And with odds often cited as one in nine million, who could blame her?
Her first encounter with lightning happened at age 12 in South Africa. She was chatting on a dial phone in an old tin-roofed house when, as she recalls, "It felt like someone hit me on the side of my head with a plank." Her dog, a fox terrier named Lulu, was also caught in the blast. The experience left Jeanne with temporary tinnitus and a shared trauma with her pet, who became terrified of thunder. "My dog was never the same after that, poor Lulu," she said.
But here's where it gets controversial... Lightning never strikes the same place twice, right? Well, try telling that to Jeanne. At 18, while in the same family home, a phone call came during another electrical storm. Despite her instincts, she briefly picked up the landline, hoping to quickly say she'd call back. But lightning, as it turned out, had other plans. "What are the chances of being struck twice?" she wondered. This second strike was even more painful, throwing her against a wall and causing temporary hearing loss. "I just remember screaming to my parents, 'My ear, my ear, my ear!'" she said. "I thought my ear had been burnt off."
So, what are the actual chances of being struck by lightning? According to the Bureau of Meteorology, there are around 8 million lightning strikes globally every day, which translates to approximately 44 strikes per second. While the odds of being struck are low, it's still a real risk. As Jessica Lingard from the Bureau of Meteorology points out, "If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning."
The risk is higher in lightning-prone areas like the Kimberley. Darwin, for example, is known as the lightning capital of Australia, experiencing more thunderstorms annually. But, how can you reduce your risk? Lightning is "very lazy," as Lingard puts it. It seeks the path of least resistance. Therefore, tall objects like buildings, trees, and flagpoles are more likely targets. Also, talking on a landline during a storm is a definite no-no, as the phone lines can conduct electricity, as Jeanne learned the hard way.
So, what do you think? Is it just incredibly bad luck, or is there something else at play? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
