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Lightning strikes caused damage around Seattle

North Bowdoin Place in Fremont was taped off like a crime scene—and lightning was the surprising criminal.
"It was loud, blew up this tree, threw chunks of wood, blew people's glass out and stuff.  It was pretty crazy,” Eric Westmore, who lives on North Bowdoin, told us.
Westmore said lightning struck a massive tree in front of his apartment.  A splintered limb shattered the window of a car parked right in front of his.  Seattle Fire firefighters soaked down the smoldering tree as residents like Westman watched in disbelief.
"I was really shocked to see how much damage a lightning bolt did,” he said.
"I was looking out my window and out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash and I guess it was the transformer out my window exploding,” Josh Malczyk, who lives a few doors down from Westman, said.
People in the area lost their power and they were not alone.  Seattle City Light says about 2,300 customers lost power when tree limbs snapped off and knocked down a line in the Ravenna neighborhood.
In Green Lake lightning split another tree, caused a power surge and caught a garage on fire. 
No one was hurt but people heard it blocks away.

SEATTLE — "That boom was just incredible; it shook everything,” Mindi Lee told KIRO 7.

"I've seen lightning strikes before but not that close and not that powerful,” Malczyk said.