Lightning strikes tree, falls on Houston home; 'sounded like a car ran into the house'
HOUSTON - Residents in Oak Forest are cleaning up from Wednesday’s afternoon thunderstorm.
According to Luis Ramirez, a tree hit the rental home he’s staying in after it was struck by lightning. It happened late Wednesday afternoon at their house off Wakefield Drive.
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"It sounded like a car ran into the house," said Ramirez. "I don’t know what that sounds like, but it was loud, and the whole house shook."
Ramirez recorded video on his cell phone moments after the loud boom. A large nearby tree crashed and crushed his roommate’s bedroom.
"If I had been getting clothes out of my dresser, I could have died," said Douglas Walker. "I’m glad I wasn’t home. It’s really scary to think about."
Wednesday’s afternoon thunderstorm appears random to Ramirez, who was home at the time.
"It didn’t even rain for 30 minutes," said Ramirez. "It literally came out of nowhere. Blue skies all day. Out of nowhere, it just came in like a hurricane. We’re very fortunate that I wasn’t in that room and [my roommate] wasn’t at home."
Ramirez and Walker say the rental home is no longer livable. There are holes in the ceiling and there is water damage. Between fried electronics and soaked furniture, they estimate thousands of dollars in damages.
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Ramirez says they’re thankful for renter’s insurance. However, they’re now looking for a new place to stay.
"I mean, what are the chances of getting struck by lightning?" said Walker. "Well, we did."