Your otherwise capable or serious character has an inordinate fear of thunderstorms. This is a primal, almost childish fear that surprises other characters, although it's not always played for laughs. The actual name of this fear is "Brontophobia" or "Astraphobia." However, the former suggests a fear of incorrectly-named, four-legged sauropods while the latter, a horror of affordable German family cars. It also happens to animals, especially dogs. Examples of Fear of Thunder include: