ribbon lightning

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noun

a repeated lightning discharge in which successive strokes are displaced from each other by wind, resulting in a broadened appearance.

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Origin of ribbon lightning

First recorded in 1885–90

Should lightning strike and Hillary Clinton forgoes a presidential run, Democrats have a nominee in waiting.
Sen. Warren’s Main Street Crusade to Pressure Clinton|Eleanor Clift|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He was one of living symbols of “White Ribbon Revolution” of 2012, always in black, slim, shaved, almost a monk.
Behind Bars for the Holidays: 11 Political Prisoners We Want to See Free In 2015|Movements.Org|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At various times, we had spoken about honors--Hitchcock had been awarded the Légion d'Honneur and wore a ribbon in his lapel.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But it was a real gong and it came with a nice ribbon and a letter from the Queen.
I Saw Nuclear Armageddon Sitting on My Desk|Clive Irving|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But the WTC ribbon is from the attack on 9/11, which saw Baugh race to the scene after the first plane struck.
The President and the Tow Truck Driver|Michael Daly|September 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The left heel followed like lightning, and the right paw also slipped, letting the bear again fall heavily on the ice below.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
Spite, however, of punishments and prohibitions the use of tobacco spread with the rapidity of lightning.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Like lightning he turned and seized by the wrist a man who had already opened the bag and laid hold of some of its contents.
The Garret and the Garden|R.M. Ballantyne
His only worry at the time lay in the dark sky above and the blue-white stabs of lightning that promised an electrical storm.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
Another lightning flash blinded the girls and the thunder following fairly deafened them for the moment.
The Campfire Girls of Roselawn|Margaret Penrose