4 men struck by lightning

When we were little, Mama Houstonist always told us not to take shelter under a tree during a lightning storm. And though we followed her advice, we were always a little skeptical: People don't really get hit by lightning if they're standing under a tree, do they? Actually, yes, they do — just ask the four guys who were struck yesterday at Bear Creek Park.

The men were playing soccer at the park when a line of strong storms moved across the west side. To get out of the rain, they stood under a tree, and that turned out to have been a bad move. "We heard a lightning bolt and I looked up and I saw leaves coming off the tree," witness Alex Martinez said. Martinez's family called 911 and ran over to see what they could do: "When we saw what happened, we just got off the truck and we ran towards them and that's when we started helping them out," Josue Martinez said. "They weren't going to ... be able to move their legs right after they got shocked. Their legs wouldn't move."

The four men were taken to Memorial Hermann hospital, and according to KHOU, three of them were treated and released; the fourth is still in the hospital. Josue Martinez said he learned a lesson from the whole thing: "From now on, if it starts raining, we're going to go. ... I'm not going to risk my family, especially my parents. If starts raining, we're going to leave and we are not going to get close to the trees no more," he said. We're sure the four who were struck by the lightning bolt feel the same way.

Interestingly enough, as KTRK notes, Texas is the state with the seventh most lightning-related deaths and injuries — 498, as recorded by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. Along that line, here's more than you probably want to know about lightning in Houston. Next time it rains, why not stay inside? But for God's sake, don't shower.