An eastern Iowa man is recovering in the hospital after being struck by lightning in western Iowa. It happened Sunday night near Denison in Crawford County. Danny Murphy and his son, Derrick, are trained weather spotters and thought they were at a safe distance, but a lightning strike hit Danny as he stood just outside their car.

While his father’s memory of the incident is blurred, Derrick told KCRG-TV he remembers it vividly. “The hairs on the back of (my) neck stood up, and within a half-a-second later, the lightning struck,” Derrick said. The blast knocked Derrick to the ground and he hit his head on the opened car door. Seconds later, he got up and rushed to his father. Danny Murphy was motionless.

“I do remember shortly afterward that I was paralyzed for a while. I was worried about that because I really couldn’t move my left foot,” Danny Murphy said. Derrick was worried his father might not survive. “I was about to break down. I didn’t know what I was going to do. I thought I was going to have to take him home and bury him,” Derrick said.

Danny, however, is expected to make a full recovery. He remains in a hospital in Sioux City, but could be released within a week. The Murphys call themselves “2DSTORM” and Derrick doesn’t believe this incident will keep him and his father from doing what they love to do – chase storms. “I think we will…but we will stay a lot farther away,” Derrick said. The Murphys live on a farm near Hazleton in Buchanan County.

By Jill Kasperie, KCRG-TV, Cedar Rapids

Full KCRG story.