Lightning Strikes

A two-alarm fire that destroyed the roof and top floor of an Eldersburg house early yesterday likely was caused by a lightning strike, authorities said. The fire, in the 7100 block of Shalin Drive, occurred after storms moved through the region Saturday night, knocking out power to area residents, said Chief Bruce Fleming of the volunteer Sykesville-Freedom District Fire Department. Fleming said he believes the fire smoldered and grew because no one was home. The fire was reported by state police troopers in the area on a call, he said.

Lightning strikes left a Frederick man dead and a Howard County family without a home yesterday, as violent thunderstorms tore through the area during much of the sweltering afternoon. Michael Paul Palmer, 55, was killed by a bolt of lightning while standing on his deck in the 1800 block of Millstream Drive, Frederick police said. Palmer's 18-year-old son called for an ambulance about 2 p.m., but Palmer could not be revived and was later pronounced dead at Frederick Memorial Hospital. About an hour later in western Howard County, a Clarksville family watched their home burn after lightning apparently struck the chimney, and neighbors could not get through to 911 for several crucial minutes.

Blame it on Bermuda. That was the center of a high-pressure system that pumped in unseasonable heat and humidity, and set the stage for thunderstorms and showers yesterday that grounded planes at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, disrupted power for thousands of homes, and created slippery roads for drivers across Central Maryland. Forecasters said the system, known as a "Bermuda High," pushed warm, humid air from the Southwest into North Carolina, bringing humidity from the ocean and making the region's atmosphere conducive to thunderstorms.

Thunderstorms that roared to the edge of Baltimore dropped more than 5 inches of rain in some areas yesterday, and evening lightning strikes knocked out radar and blasted holes in a runway at the Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Flights were held up for hours and additional delays are expected this morning. Howard County took a major hit, and Anne Arundel County was belted even harder, with storms snarling traffic and knocking out power to more than 12,000 homes there. Across Baltimore Gas and Electric's Central Maryland system, more than 20,000 customers were blacked out for varying lengths of time - and repair work was expected to continue into this morning, a spokesman said.

The Baltimore region was hit last night by lightning and a heavy storm that caused power outages and dumped more than an inch of rain in about an hour. About 8:30 p.m., the National Weather Service in Sterling, Va., issued an hourlong severe thunderstorm warning for Baltimore and southern Baltimore County after detecting a thunderstorm over Catonsville. A "warning" means severe weather has been reported in the immediate area, and everyone is advised to quickly get to the safest possible area.

Groovin' to the Beat Keep your feet tappin' and your fingers snappin' at www.pbs.org / jazz / kids / . At this swinging site, you can discover the history of jazz with the Interactive Timeline. Visit the Improvisation Station to test your skills on the groove machine. Play Repeat the Beat, a memory game, with an animal band. In the Now and Then section, learn about famous jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker and more. You can also read about kids your own age who love to play music.

Less than a week ago, Hammond baseball coach Bob Maxey talked about the pressures a team faces when it just happens to be undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the area for the first time in school history, as the Bears are. "You never know what can happen in baseball," Maxey said. "You run into a hot pitcher, your bats go cold for a game, suddenly some team jumps out and gets you. It's pretty tough to stay on top." Eerily, that's exactly what happened yesterday, as Hammond lost for the first time this season, falling, 2-1, to Long Reach, thanks in part to a superb pitching performance from Lightning senior Bob Helman, who didn't allow a hit in six innings against one of the toughest lineups in the Baltimore area.

On the second weekend of June, lightning killed two men in South Carolina, struck three dogs and knocked out radar at an airport in Rhode Island, sparked a fire in New Mexico that forced 33 families from their homes and blasted the lights above Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. That same weekend, lightning struck 842 times within a 15-mile radius of the playgrounds at Annapolis Middle School. Two bolts set houses on fire. Another touched an oak. The one that touched the oak killed a man and injured eight.

Lightning Paces gets little respect, although he does nothing but try - and that's often good enough. He'll likely be an overlooked contender today in the Maryland Million Classic. A 3-year-old son of Thirty Eight Paces, Lightning Paces has won two in a row and four of his last six. His richest score occurred three weeks ago in the $200,000 Virginia Derby on the turf at Colonial Downs. Bettors dismissed him at 14-1. Jerry Robb, his trainer, said he believed Lightning Paces would have had a chance in the Turf or the Classic.