15-year-old boy describes moments he was struck by lightning in Central Park

A 15-year-old boy, who was struck by lightning in Central Park during a series of powerful thunderstorms on Thursday, exclusively shared his experiences with news correspondents, Eyewitness News informs.

For high school student Yassin Khalifa, the day that began in the park ended with hospitalization.

He was spending time with friends on a picnic near East Meadow when a storm suddenly broke out.

"I leaned up against a tree, and I told them, Oh, guys, let's ride out the storm, which in hindsight might not have been the best idea," Khalifa said.

The teenager could not have imagined that a lightning bolt would strike the tree he chose.

The lightning strike temporarily knocked him unconscious, but by the time the ambulance arrived, he had already regained consciousness. He was surrounded by family and friends at Weill Cornell Medical Center.

He said he was undergoing treatment for second-degree burns on his neck and leg and hoped for a full recovery.

"Apparently, I'm pretty lucky, because my spine was directly against the tree and no nerve damage happened. So I'm like, not losing any sort of motor function. So I'm pretty happy about that," Khalifa said.

Numerous destructions were also recorded in the vicinity of the three states.

In Ridgewood, Queens, a huge tree collapsed on a car, and in Maspeth, downed trees damaged parked cars on 60th Street.

The mother of Jose Rosas, who witnessed the incident, insisted that he personally see the consequences of the rampant elements.

"She tells me that my car's done. And I told her what do you mean? She said come outside and that's what I see. Just the tree on top of the van," Jose Rosas said.

In Cranford, New Jersey, a lawn was uprooted by a fallen tree, and puddles gathered on the soaked ground as the soil could no longer hold water.