"This new record clearly demonstrates the incredible power of the natural environment," professor Randall Cerveny said.

A lighting flash that spanned from East Texas to an area near Kansas City in 2017 is officially the longest lightning strike ever measured, according to the World Meteorological Organization

Scientists July 31 announced the discovery of the world's longest lightning flash ever detected – a whopping 515-mile-long bolt that blasted across central U.S. skies from Dallas to Kansas City in October 2017. In East Coast terms, that's equivalent to the distance from New York City to Charlotte, N.C.