Thunder and lightning

A few days ago around 3 am in the morning, a thunder storm moved in and all of a sudden I heard the loudest pop of thunder ever. It was so loud that it sounded like someone fired a gun right beside our window. After it woke me up I almost had trouble going back to sleep. Then some lighting started striking around and it was so bright that I could literally see the brightness of it with my eyes closed. I've always been amazed by thunder and lightning. Not that it doesn't frighten me sometimes but it's just the kind of power that is displayed before our eyes. Sitting back listening to the thunder and even watching lightning is just breathtaking. As long as lightning doesn't hit any surface it's okay. The moment it does hit the ground is another story!