'The house shook': Lightning strike causes damage to Seminole Heights home
TAMPA, Fla. - It was a frightening Wednesday afternoon for a Tampa a homeowner when lightning hit her house. It knocked out her power and caused parts of her ceiling to fall down.
This happened on East Lambright Street during the Wednesday's afternoon thunderstorms that rolled through parts of the Tampa Bay area.
The lightning bolt went through the roof over the bedroom closet, but what shocked Marlene Grenier, the Seminole Heights homeowner, was some of the damage inside the home and around her property.
"I was standing in my front window over there, my dog was standing next to me, we were watching the storm out the window, and it sounded like a bomb hit our house, the house shook, I thought the house was coming down," Grenier said.
She said her home was struck by lightning at around 4 p.m. Wednesday. Her smoke detectors started going off and her power went out.
"Started walking upstairs and smelled smoke, and then I freaked out, I saw parts of my ceiling were all over the floor in the bedroom, so then I called 911 and the Tampa Fire Department was here in no time," Grenier said.
The strike left a mess on her bedroom floor and parts of her ceiling all over the place.
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"When I went upstairs, there was white stuff all over the floor of my bedroom which hadn’t been there previously, and then I realized a piece of the ceiling had blown off, there was a piece of metal flashing on the floor," the Seminole Heights homeowner said.
Grenier said she could smell a lot of smoke, and it lingered for hours.
"I was freaking out, because I have animals in the house, and I was like ‘oh my God,’ I need to get the cats and the dog out," she said.
The lightning strike also left a mess around her property. Parts of the roof were blown off and pieces were scattered around the backyard.
"It’s crazy, we’ve had this house for two years, and we love this house, we’re obsessed with it, I’m very sad that it got hit by lightning, but I am glad it’s still doing okay, this house is almost 100 years old, built in 1926, would’ve been a shame if it burned down," Grenier said.
Her husband wasn’t home at the time but came by soon after the storm. They said they’re happy to be okay and that they still have their house and their pets are all okay as well.
The next step for them is working with their insurance company about the damage and an electrician to restore power.