Answer:
Personification is used to show the power of the storm.
Explanation:
Personification and hyperbole are two types of figure of speech. The first one takes place when non-human objects like animals, elements of nature, emotions or things, are given human attributes, and hyperbole takes place when we use exaggerated words or phrases that are obviously false in order to emphasize or to add humor.
In the excerpt, the speaker is not talking in an exaggerated manner or using words that are obviously false because a storm can indeed continue for hours, thunders can be deafening, lightning can be strong...
However, the speaker does use personification because it describes lightning as something that takes the night from completely black to light as if lightning had the conscious will of holding with its hands something. Furthermore, the speaker uses personification to show the power of the storm: It was so mighty and powerful that it continued for hours, and had mighty thunders and lightnings.
