A Ponoka County woman had the shock of her life when lightning struck her home just feet from where she was sitting.
As Ponoka and area residents settled in for a strong thunderstorm on the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 2, lightning struck a home near Meridian Beach. The call came in shortly after, explained Dale Morrow, Ponoka County East District Fire Chief. Expecting to see a house on fire upon arrival, Morrow said the department found the power out and four or five holes, one rather large, in the roof.
In all his years of firefighting, he has never seen anything like this.
It appears the lightning bolt went right through the roof and cracked a portion of the ceiling before making its way to a power outlet. It blew the power and left the woman with her ears ringing.
The location of the strike was the highest part of the house. “It was the high spot within a general area,” said Morrow.
“That’s quite an event if you ask me,” he added.
Morrow went back the next day to get photos and document the occurrence for his records. If someone was on the roof, they could see all the way into the home.
Luckily the lady was unhurt — considering she was sitting about 10 to 15 feet from where the strike hit the ceiling — and went to a neighbour’s home to call the department.
While there was no fire, there were all sorts of issues in the mechanical room and power switches, closest to where the strike was, were blown off. Morrow said department members familiar with electrical work could not explain how this happened. Around the holes there was some heat on their edges and to ensure the woman’s home was protected, the department secured a tarp to the roof.
Morrow said an electrical company was at the home checking the outlets and wiring.