CLEARWATER, Fla. – A beautiful beach day in Florida can quickly go south when storms strike out of nowhere, which is exactly what happened Wednesday in Clearwater.

The Clearwater Police Department posted a set of pictures to its Facebook page showing lightning striking again and again near the sand and water. In one shot, the strike was so close it could be seen reflected in a puddle on the sand near chairs where beachgoers would normally be lounging, WKMG in Orlando reported.

Another photo shows a slightly darker sky with a crystal clear strike off in the horizon. In one of the final images, the flash was so bright that the strike itself could hardly be seen.