You would think if a person was struck by lighting they would know it.
I have seen a few real storms here in California. Even by Midwest standards. One of them had enough power blow over a boxcar. One had hail that put hole in my corrugated fiberglass patio roof. You see them more often in the area where hot. Dessert air mets cooler coastal air.
LA gets some crazy storms. They are just unpredictable and infrequent.