Lightning blasts hole in roof and strikes resident, PA officials say. ‘Still in shock’

A bolt of lightning blasted a hole in a home’s roof on Monday, May 16, and struck a resident who was inside, Pennsylvania officials say.

It happened in North Huntingdon Township, about 20 miles southeast of downtown Pittsburgh. The Circleville Volunteer Fire Department says six homes were impacted by the strike.

Images from the fire department show brick scattered across the backyard and a living space of the home covered in debris and drywall.

A neighbor said the lightning strike also destroyed the chimney of the home, WPXI reported. The hole was about 4 feet by 4 feet on the outside and 12 feet by 12 feet on the inside, according to the station.

The fire department said one person was injured from the strike and was cleared by paramedics at the scene.

But the 15-year-old victim, Giana Scaramuzzo, told WTAE she is “a little scared, still in shock” from the incident.

“All of a sudden I hear the loud sound of thunder, and I see lightning, and I see it reflect from my mirror, and all of a sudden I feel like a shock in my pinky, and then it goes up my body and out through my leg,” she told WTAE.

This story was originally published May 17, 2022 at 7:55 AM with the headline "Lightning blasts hole in roof and strikes resident, PA officials say. ‘Still in shock’."