As quickly as it came it was gone, but a hit-and-run thunderstorm that struck the area of The East Mall and Rathburn Rd. Thursday left residents in shock and some very old kindling in its wake.

A massive tree that stood in the area for almost a century looked like it had been hit by an artillery shell after lightning from a nasty thunderstorm split the trunk, sending pieces of bark and branch flying like shrapnel and posing similar dangers.

"I just think it was probably, as I say, the most incredible bang I've ever heard in my life," said neighbour Fran Laphen. "I knew it was something major that had happened."

The lightning struck around 8:30am Thursday, sending large chunks of wood into the street and neighbours' yards.

"Big slices of the tree just exploded all over," Laphen recalled. "It could really have hurt someone."

The still-standing remnants of the long-standing neighbourhood centrepiece are understandably fragile, and it's believed little more than a strong gust of wind would be needed to take the rest of it down.

"The tree has had a stress crack over the years and when the lightning hit that's why it peeled in a spiral," said arborist Dennis Link.

"Right now this tree is opening, just with the little wind we have now."

What that means is that the city will likely take proactive measures in removing what's left for safety's sake.

But doing so will add financial insult to environmental injury. Because the tree sits on private property, the owners are ultimately responsible for the estimated $4,000 it will cost to take it down safely.

For a look at the massive tree and the storm damage it suffered, click on the video link.