I have been on full frame for some time now. It is more expensive, but you can (at least in my "tribe" of bodies, still shoot APS-C for the extra boost in focal length, albeit at a lower pixel count.
All the camera manufacturers dont really scream "value" at the moment. Sony tend to provide a lot of sensors for the whole market, and their glass is pretty dang good too.
You can always go down the second hand route as people inevitably follow their gear acquisition syndrome as new bodies come out and they look to offload their old ones.
RE: Shots during an electrical storm