A North Carolina gamer who was struck by lightning while streaming on July 19, 2025, recounts his experience to AccuWeather.

North Carolina

A gamer in North Carolina, known online as CrispyMate, was live streaming on Twitch when lightning struck outside his Holly Springs home, sending an electrical surge through his gaming setup. He described the experience as a sudden sensory shock, with temporary loss of vision and a feeling similar to a strong bass vibration in his ears. Despite feeling disoriented and experiencing lingering tingling sensations, he was able to check on his pets and ensure his home was safe.

The following day, the gamer reported feeling unusually energetic. Experts caution that indoor lightning strikes can occur if using devices plugged into the wall during storms, as lightning can travel through wires and plumbing. Safety advice includes avoiding the use of electrical equipment during thunderstorms to reduce risk.

Gamer describes the moment he was struck by lightning while live on Twitch

Bro, I just got struck by lightning. A North Carolina gamer known online as CrispyMate was live streaming on Twitch on July 19th when a bolt of lightning struck outside his Holly Springs home and sent an electrical surge straight through his gaming setup. I remember feeling at first, like in my ears, it's as if you were in the front row of like a concert and the drummer just has one really good thwack and you can feel the bass of it. But in both of your ears and in my vision, I remember going fully white, like I just couldn't see anything for a split second. The lightning strike caused a sensory shockwave, leaving him disoriented but still aware enough to check on the things that mattered most. I felt concussed, but my first thought was like, my cats. So I jumped up and I bolted up the stairs to see if my cats were okay. And then I remembered, oh, I'm streaming too, but also I have a lot of electricity downstairs and I don't want the house to catch on fire. The moment was intense and the sensations lingered into the night. It was painful when it happened. It felt like a tingling in my head. It was kind of dizziness, like a fogginess, but like after a couple hours, I was kind of back to that sensation of like tingling in a way the next day. Surprisingly, he says the following day brought an unexpected boost in energy. I woke up, felt great, went straight to the gym. And then like I had the best workout of my life, I feel like in there. Experts say indoor lightning strikes can happen if you're using anything plugged into the wall during a storm. John Jensenius of the National Lightning Safety Council says if lightning strikes your home, it typically follows either the wires or the plumbing. So if you're in contact with anything attached to those, you are at risk. Do not stream during a thunderstorm or do not use any electrical equipment near a window during a thunderstorm or at all. Turn everything off. Be safe. For AccuWeather, I'm meteorologist Tony Loback.

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