A shocking record: Lightning bolt stretched 515 miles, crossed three states
NBC NewsThursday, July 31, 2025 at 3:41:34 PM
NeutralU.S News
Hold onto your hats—this lightning bolt was a real marathoner. Scientists just confirmed that a single, mind-bending flash stretched 515 miles from the sky, slicing through at least three states (Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi) back in 2020. That’s like lightning traveling from New York City to Cleveland in one zap. It’s now the longest ever recorded, smashing the previous record by nearly 100 miles.
Editor’s Note: Lightning usually feels like a split-second spectacle, but this record-breaker shows how wild and far-reaching weather can really get. Beyond the "wow" factor, it’s a reminder that climate change might be fueling more extreme atmospheric events—and that our tech (like satellite tracking) is getting better at catching them. For storm chasers and scientists alike, it’s a juicy clue about how little we still understand the sky’s most dramatic performances.
— Curated by the World Pulse Now AI Editorial System
