A tall tree in front of a home in the 6900 block of Jonquil Street, Niles, was hit by lightning late Sunday afternoon during a storm.
Paul Nielsen, who lives on the block, said he saw lighting strike the top of the tree, and then smoke started to come from an area near the base for a few moments.
The lightning made a crack which Nielsen and Carlo Cacioppo, who also lives on the block, said was incredibly loud.
"It sounded like at least three or four M-80s going off," Nielsen said.
The force of the lightning shredded some of the tree's bark, and strips of it went flying across the street and in front of several houses around.
It also carved vertical gouges in the tree's bark, running nearly the length of the tree. They looked like light beige stripes against the dark bark of the tree.
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"Look what Mother Nature can do," said Cacioppo, holding up a length of shredded bark about as long, thin and flexible as a palm frond which Catholic churches distribute on Palm Sunday. "You couldn't cut it that thin if you tried."
A dead dove was also found near the base of the tree, he said. It's likely it had been sitting on a branch.
Nielsen said the rain had stopped and the storm appeared over, and he was looking out the window and thinking about going outside--and that's when the lightning struck.
Thanks to Carlo Cacioppo for the news tip which led to this story.
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