Lightning Bolt Turns Day at the Lake into a Scene of Chaos in Tarrant County
It started off like any other Sunday in North Texas — bright skies, laughter, and people eager to enjoy a day by the water. But what unfolded at Mustang Park on Benbrook Lake was anything but ordinary. What should have been a relaxing outing quickly turned into a terrifying moment that those involved will likely never forget.
A group of 14 friends and family members had gathered under a canopy to shelter from the storm that rolled in unexpectedly. They were doing what any of us might — trying to hold down the canopy as wind picked up and rain began to fall. But within seconds, everything changed. Lightning struck — not just the canopy, but also a nearby tree and a parked vehicle. The result was chaos. People were thrown, disoriented, and left trying to comprehend what had just happened.
Imagine hearing a thunderclap that isn’t just above you but feels like it’s right beside you — then seeing a flash, smoke, and feeling yourself being thrown back. That’s what Juan Reyes, one of the victims, recalled. He said it was like a fireball. One minute he was holding the canopy; the next, he was unconscious, then struggling to stand up as others around him lay injured.
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Incredibly, all 14 people survived. Twelve were treated at the scene for minor injuries. Two, including Reyes, were taken to the hospital — one of them being a small child. Reyes later shared he suffered from swelling in his forearm — the same arm that had been gripping the metal frame when lightning hit. He called it a shocking, surreal experience and admitted he’s still trying to process it all.
According to Cresson paramedics, the entire group was lucky. They all had at least one hand on metal — and as we know, metal conducts electricity. It could have been much worse. The nearby vehicle that was hit was rendered inoperable, and debris from the blast scattered the scene.
This storm wasn't isolated either. North Texas faced a broader severe weather threat that night, with baseball-sized hail falling in parts of Tarrant County and surrounding areas. Residents reported sirens in cities as far as Oak Cliff as storms continued to move eastward.
It’s a stark reminder of how quickly things can escalate when nature turns volatile. In just a few seconds, a sunny afternoon became a life-threatening emergency. And while the physical injuries might heal, the memory of that lightning strike — the sound, the fear, the chaos — will likely linger far longer for those who lived through it.
Stay alert, stay informed, and always take shelter seriously when storms roll in. Because lightning doesn’t give warnings — it just strikes.
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