WASHINGTON — Video of a lightning strike right near a U.S. Marine sentry standing watch at the White House has gotten a lot of attention online.
The video was captured by C-SPAN. In the video you can see the Marine barely flinch and then he calmly walks inside in an orderly fashion. He returned to his post a few minutes later.
It happened around 4:30 p.m. Thursday as severe thunderstorms rolled through the DMV.
The storms brought strong winds, small hail and downed trees to several areas.
The Marine did the right thing by moving inside during the storm. Although the odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are less than 1 in a million, some factors can put you at greater risk. Lightning most often strikes people who work outside or engage in outdoor recreational activities, according to the CDC. Remember, when thunder roars, go indoors.
More storms are expected Friday afternoon.
A Yellow Weather Alert has been issued for Friday afternoon and evening thunderstorms.
A Flash Flood Watch has been issued for D.C. Prince George's County, Southern Montgomery County, Fairfax, Arlington, Falls Church and Alexandria. Heavy rain in a short amount of time could lead to flash flooding.
A stormy and still hot weather pattern settles in for the next several days. However, a cool down is in sight, with 70s forecast late next week.