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Tree in Corydon Avenue backyard explodes from lightning strike

Click to play video: 'Lightning hits tree outside a home on Corydon Avenue'
Lightning hits tree outside a home on Corydon Avenue
WATCH: Josh Behnish describes hearing the loud bang after the tree was hit by lightning – Jun 17, 2016

WINNIPEG — The thunderstorm that hit Winnipeg early Friday morning caused an explosive wake-up call for one River Heights resident.

Just after 6 a.m. Josh Behnish was woken up by the storm and went to go close his window. As he was shutting it, he heard a loud bang outside his home on Corydon Avenue. A tree in the back of his house had been struck by lightning.

READ MORE: Storm rolls over southern Manitoba Friday morning

“I felt a strong vibration and heard a loud bang … and there was huge explosion from when the lightning hit the tree,”  Behnish said.

He said he suffered a few minor scratches but wasn’t seriously hurt.

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Behnish went outside to check the damage and saw the 12-metre pine tree was reduced to a jagged stump. The branches and trunk were scattered across the yard. Some of the tree landed on the roof of the house.

“Just knowing how big the tree was before … and to see what was left of it was pretty wild,” he said.

City crews were on scene Friday afternoon cleaning up the damage.

Crews cleaning up the damage after the Friday morning storm. 680 CJOB

 

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