Latest news with #Chrispymate
Daily Mail
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Twitch livestreamer Chrispymate is struck by LIGHTNING while sharing video of himself playing computer games
A Twitch streamer was struck by lightning while sharing a video of himself playing computer games inside his North Carolina home. Christian Howard, known online as Chrispymate, was shocked by a bolt of lightning during a storm in southern Wake County on July 19. He was livestreaming when he felt a heavy pressure followed by an electric shock in his ears, where he was wearing earphones partially made out of metal. 'Bro, I just got struck by lightning,' Howard, 27, told the stream. 'I had my earbuds in. A big thing of lightning hit. I felt lightning go through my ears.' The shock sent a 'little zap' into his body and made his vision temporarily go 'white', Howard told WRAL News. He ended the stream shortly after the jolt and immediately went to check on his cats after the incident to ensure that they had not been impacted. Howard, whose fans were concerned after watching him get shocked on live stream, was not injured in the incident. The odds of being struck by lightning are one in 15,300, but officials note that certain parts of the US, specifically states along the Gulf Coast, are hotspots for bolts. Howard compared the incident to being blasted with sound from the front row of a rock concert. 'It felt as if you were in the front row and the drummer just hit one good thwack and all the bass just hits went into my ears,' he told the news outlet. 'At the same time, if you were to take a gum strip gag toy, and just pull it, you get that little zap. I had both of those sensations. My vision went white, and then I bolted.' Common side effects of lightning strikes include loss of consciousness, confusion and amnesia, according to the National Institutes of Health. Howard, luckily, did not suffer any symptoms following the incident, but did claim he felt like he had 'super strength' afterwards. 'I haven't gone to a full sprint just yet,' he told Fox Weather. 'But, I did get super strength the next day. I had the best gym session I've ever had.' Howard said the whole experience was rather 'intense' and moving forward plans to take extra precautions ahead of incoming storms. Although most lightning strikes happen while a person is outside, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns strikes do occur indoors. Lightning - which is an electrical current - can travel through electrical systems, radios, TVs, and any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring, the CDC says. Experts say people should avoid using any devices connected to an electrical outlet, including computers, laptops, gaming systems or appliances, during storms. Americans experience 36.8 million ground strikes annually, with Florida being hit the most, data published by the University of Wisconsin-Madison last year revealed. The Miami-Fort Lauderdale area alone had over 120,000 lightning strikes in 2023. Meteorologists also found that Louisiana had the highest volume of deadly 'cloud-to-ground' lightning strikes and 'Tornado Alley' also receives its fair share of bolts. An average of 28 people in the US were killed by lightning every year between 2006 and 2023, the research report found. According to the National Lightning Safety Council, at least 12 people have already died from lightning strikes in 2025.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Yahoo
Gamer struck by lightning while livestreaming in North Carolina
A North Carolina gamer known online as Chrispymate was livestreaming on Twitch on July 19 when a bolt of lightning struck outside his Holly Springs home and sent an electrical surge straight through his gaming setup. The moment, captured on video, shows the entire screen flash white as a thunderous crack cuts through the audio. In a split second, Chrispymate leapt from his chair, yanked off his headphones and bolted off camera. The streamer told AccuWeather the strike happened around 9:00 p.m. EDT. "Bro, I just got struck by lightning," he gasped before stopping his stream. Despite the shock, he was able to return to stream and assured viewers he was okay. "So I was sitting in here, I had my earbuds in. A big thing of lightning hit...I felt lightning go through my ear buds and I bolted up the stairs. Oh my God, dude!" While it might sound rare or even impossible, lightning experts say this kind of indoor strike isn't just possible, it's preventable. Lightning can enter homes through wiring and plumbing, and any device plugged into a wall becomes a potential danger point during a storm. That includes phones, earbuds, computers and gaming consoles, according to John Jensenius of the National Lightning Safety Council. "Cell phones are safe as long as they're not plugged into the wall," Jensenius told AccuWeather in a previous interview. "But if you're charging your device and holding it when lightning strikes, you're part of the electrical system and that puts you at risk." A similar case occurred earlier this month when a 19-year-old Alabama woman was struck while scrolling her plugged-in phone during a storm. She described a jolt shooting up her arm and was told by doctors she was lucky it didn't reach her heart. Jensenius says most people are surprised to learn that indoor lightning injuries often result from contact with wired electronics, running water or metal-framed windows. Even non-metal pipes can conduct electricity through the water itself, as was the case when lightning exploded a shower in Florida. While the odds of being struck by lightning in any given year are about 1 in 1.6 million, according to the National Lightning Safety Council, most lightning-related injuries and deaths are preventable, experts say. "The key is planning ahead," Jensenius said. Solve the daily Crossword
