Lightning, Rain Pounds Fayette County

Ken and Becky Robinson are used to a lot of commotion around their house.

They’ve lived in the same spot in Warrenton since 1996, and have watched the semi-annual antiques festival grow up around them. Twice a year, there are antiques tents and vendors in their front yard.

But not even the ruckus of thousands of shoppers compares to what happened Monday, when a bolt of lightning struck a tree in their front yard, blasting bark 30 feet in every direction.

It was part of a storm that soaked the entire county – many areas getting at least a couple inches of rain.

“You talk about loud. It got your attention,” Ken said of the clap of thunder that accompanied the bolt.

“I was traumatized for the rest of the day,” Becky said.

Ken realized it was a lightning strike and when he went outside he smelled burning wood and feared their house might be on fire.

But the damage was limited to a pair of tall ash trees in their front yard, both of which had jagged lines of damaged down their trucks. He fears the most damaged tree will probably die.

The strike also knocked out their internet, phone service and power. Even though they had surge protectors and GFCI plus throughout the house, at least three of their electronic devices are ruined.

The Robinsons were very complimentary, however, of both Bluebonnet Electric and Colorado Valley, whose personnel worked quickly to restore their utilities. Becky advised people to have emergency outage numbers for their utility companies programmed into their cell phone if they ever find themselves in a similar situation.

The Robinsons also feel lucky that this storm didn’t blow through during the antiques show last month – when the area where the lightning strike occurred would have been filled with people.