Lightning strike near Tell City shatters windows, sends bark flying

Lightning hit a front-yard tree outside James’ home along Old State Road 37 just outside Tell City and turned a routine storm watch into a dangerous close call. The 83-year-old said he was looking out his bedroom window when the bolt struck, and the blast sounded like an explosion as bark flew into the highway, across the yard and against the side of the house.

The strike did more than scar the tree. James said some of the bark shattered windows and tore blinds inside the home, and glass landed on the bed where he had been lying moments earlier. The tree did not catch fire and the house did not lose power, but the damage was still enough to leave his family facing cleanup and repairs. It was the kind of near miss that makes a homeowner ask whether the next bolt could hit their property.

Weather officials say the answer is to get inside long before that happens. The National Weather Service says there is no safe place outside when thunderstorms are in the area, and that if thunder can be heard, lightning is already close enough to strike. Its guidance is to move to a substantial building or an enclosed metal-topped vehicle and to treat sheltering under a tree as a dangerous myth. The agency says being under a tree is the second leading cause of lightning casualties.

The risk is not theoretical. The National Weather Service says lightning kills about 20 people in the United States each year and injures hundreds more. NOAA’s Storm Events Database tracks storms and other significant weather events that cause loss of life, injuries, property damage or disruption to commerce, a reminder that a single strike can quickly turn from a warning flash into a costly emergency.

Perry County Emergency Management Agency says its mission is to help mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies and disasters across Perry County. The agency tells residents to watch for warnings through CodeRED and NOAA Weather Radio, especially when lightning moves through the Tell City area and rural roads like Old State Road 37 are exposed. James’ close call showed how fast a strike can send debris flying far beyond the tree itself, and how quickly a storm can become a threat to both people and property.