Massive Storm Sparks Record Lightning Strikes

Supercell storm sparks 7,781 lightning strikes over Idaho, Oregon

A supercell storm slammed into southwestern Idaho Thursday sparking a record 7,781 lightning strikes in 14 counties in SW Idaho and SE Oregon, said the Boise weather service office.

The massive storm dumped torrential rains and golf ball-sized hail over the region, triggering flash floods and a mudslide that blocked a section of ID55, a major highway near Boise.

“It’s the strongest storm I’ve seen in my 14 years here,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Valerie Mills, who is based in Boise.

The storm dumped at least 1.5 inches of rain in 30 minutes in Nampa, west of Boise, and about 1 inch of rain in 20 minutes on a nearby resort town, Mills was reported as saying.