Bend woman recalls thunderous lightning scare

An unlucky lightning strike that zapped an Awbrey Butte home Wednesday night has a Bend family feeling very lucky the damage wasn’t worse, and no one was hurt.

“Everything went black, and then there were a couple big flashes — and then there was a huge noise,” Lisa Reynolds said Thursday. “The loudest noise we’ve ever heard — and we’ve been in some big thunderstorms.”

From the outside, the house looks fine, but it’s still hard for Reynolds to believe just how close lightning struck.

She’s not sure if Wednesday’s storm sent a bolt into her tree, or into her home: there are chunks blown out of both — bark stripped, singed wires, lights that won’t turn on, others that won’t turn off.

“It was scary, we started smelling electrical wiring,” Reynolds said. “And just wanting to make sure my kids felt safe.”

The kids are fine — in fact, the lightning strike is now rumbling down the halls to class.

“They were super-excited to go to school and tell all their friends this morning,” she said. “It’s a great story!”

“Just glad it turned out okay,” Reynolds said. “That is the biggest blessing, because there could have been a lot more damage — we were all fine.”

“What’s that saying? Lightning doesn’t strike twice,” she laughed.

For tips on how to stay safe during a lightning storm, visit http://www.bendoregon.gov/index.aspx?page=1162