Recently, I showed you photos of a white pine that was struck by lightning at my farm in Bedford. Well, a couple of weeks ago, a very frightening thunder and lightning storm settled over the Hamptons, out on Long Island, New York, lasting nearly two hours. There was much flooding and widespread damage, and wouldn't you know it –- my home on Lily Pond Lane in East Hampton suffered a blow from a powerful bolt of lightning.
In addition to structural damage, the electronic driveway gate was burned out, the sprinkler system control panel was fried along with my stereo system, and the burglar/fire alarm and cable/internet were also struck. Thank goodness for a comprehensive home insurance policy. And I'm just so grateful that the house didn't catch on fire, which would have caused much more major damage and heartbreak.
The powerful lightning struck the peak of my house, causing considerable damage.
Another view showing the damage. The strike was so powerful it tore the shingles right down to the beams!
Pieces of the house were scattered about; this is a section of the fascia board.
More debris.
My rather costly stereo was destroyed!
Hi Martha, OMG, I'm so thankful you and the dogs weren't in the house. This certainly gives you an example of the powerful force of a lightning bolt. I,too, am glad that it didn't start a fire. At least the damages can be repaired, but a fire....OMG. I will cross my fingers and hope there aren't any more lightning strikes coming your way. Hope you have a great week. Hug all of your babies for me. Take care. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | August 25, 2008 at 12:33 AM
What a scarey happening!!! Glad no one was hurt. Hope all is well with you Martha!
Posted by: Faith | August 25, 2008 at 12:57 AM
Changes of climate are here. In Poland we didn't have twisters before... we have them now too...
Posted by: Me in Poland | August 25, 2008 at 01:57 AM
Oh, no! That's awfull! But I'm glad nobody got hurt! Take care!
Posted by: Raisa from Finland | August 25, 2008 at 06:22 AM
A tornado recently hit my parents home. I feel your pain!
Posted by: suemare | August 25, 2008 at 06:28 AM
Thankfully no people or animals were injured Martha! I wish more people would become in awe of the raw power of thunder and lightening storms. So many people are still killed every year by lightening because they made poor choices in ignoring or dealing with these storms. I don't think a lot of people know not to use most electrical stuff during a storm or they could easily be electrocuted. Thanks for reminding people lightening strikes can travel through electrical systems!
PS
Hope you have a new Chow puppy now!
Posted by: Cynthia | August 25, 2008 at 06:35 AM
Martha - what is it with you and lightning??? Thank God no one was hurt.
Posted by: Ann | August 25, 2008 at 07:09 AM
My goodness!! And the stereo too:( Man, you can't even sit outside and watch a good storm can you....not with that kind of lightning!
Stay safe
Posted by: A Cowboy's Wife | August 25, 2008 at 07:47 AM
WOW! How frightening. Like everyone else I'm glad you and the animals weren't hurt. It is a very scary thought that this can happen. Thanks for this post; it may be a warning to us all. Hope you have a restful couple of weeks before the Big show Sept. 15th, can't wait!Nan
Posted by: Nan Ashby | August 25, 2008 at 08:39 AM
I WAS RAISED ON A FARM IN SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. BACK THEN WE HAD "LIGHTING RODS" ON ALL THE BUILDINGS AND HOUSES. WE HAVE TERRIBLE LIGHTING STORMS, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER EVER HAVING THAT KIND OF DAMAGE ON A BUILDING. MY NEIGHBOR HAD TWO TALL PINE TREES ON EITHER END OF HER HOUSE AND LIGHTING WOULD RUN IN WE THOUGHT ON THOSE TREES AND GET STOVES, TV'S, ETC. PEOPLE WOULD SAY THE LIGHTING RODS DID NO GOOD, BUT I WILL ALWAYS FEEL THAT THEY DID PROTECT US.
Posted by: faye carlyle | August 25, 2008 at 08:44 AM
Oh wow - you are really lucky the house didn't go up in flames. And a fire that starts near the roof means the water to put it out ends up in your basement... through the walls. I wonder if this is what lightning rods are for.(?) And if anyone can find good looking lightning rods, it's you MS.
Posted by: Elle | August 25, 2008 at 09:38 AM
Hi Martha,
I'm glad no one was hurt and that your house didn't suffer too badly. Will you be unplugging your electronics from now on before you leave? I remember being in our family room during a big storm and although the TV and VHS recorder were both off, lightning came through the cable wire and straight to the recorder. It was the scariest thing to be in the room when it blew out that recorder! Now when there's a storm, I turn off all the power strips. Hey, I can't watch your show if my TVs are all blown out! The roof can blow off but don’t mess with my TVs. See you on the 15th. Trish
Posted by: Trish | August 25, 2008 at 09:50 AM
Wow! This must have been a scary experience. I'm sorry you had to go through it :-(
Posted by: Curlykel | August 25, 2008 at 09:58 AM
Martha, what a bad strain of luck? wow, well again I am glad you are ok and at least "things" can be replaced...Thank goodness for insurance! :-)
Posted by: Jeffrey | August 25, 2008 at 10:03 AM
Yes, a comprehensive insurance policy is nice. Sometimes it is rather the chance one has to take. Livestock people can suffer a loss of many animals standing under a tree or on a hill, they can also suffer thousands of acres of lost feed from a lightning started fire. Those things are a grin and bear it situation. I appreciate your blog showing what happened to you.
Posted by: Margie | August 25, 2008 at 10:19 AM
Glad everything is ok...but I can't believe the state of your cord management behind the stereo...very unMartha of you!
Posted by: Annie | August 25, 2008 at 10:23 AM
You've been unlucky with lightning this summer, Martha. But, yes, thank goodness there wasn't a fire!
Time to install a lightning rod?
-Andrew
Posted by: Andrew Ritchie | August 25, 2008 at 10:37 AM
A whole house surge protector is a good thing to have installed on your electrical panel. It probably would have saved mot of the electronic gear. We had one added when the panel was upgraded when the kitchen and baths were remodeled. The design firm thought it was such a valuable thing they now install them on all their projects.
Posted by: DMehlberg | August 25, 2008 at 10:57 AM
Consider a surge protector at entry to the facility (where the electric comes in to the structure). In DC we get a lot of thunder storms along the Potomac and this has been huge for my comfort level. Some power companies will provide, some won't, but worth checking.
Posted by: Susie Spaulding | August 25, 2008 at 10:58 AM
i hope all is well. so sorry to heAR ABOUT YOUR HOUSE......
Posted by: metroflorals | August 25, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Hi Martha and Laura,
Wow! What weather! Yes, skirting any and all heart break is a 'Hoover Dam' good thing!
Likewise, here, Florida is 100% accessible by air-boat! But I, too, am looking at the good side of the thing...I'm alive, I have electric and plumbing (for now anyway) and my animals are good and even right now it's sunny. More to come though...no one should let their guard down.
Oh, the garden...underwater, as well as the drive way, and 2 more developments in the tropics. We don't want them coming this way until water reseeds here enough to handle any type of storm surge. Fay was a warning shot...a little tropical foreplay...frankly, I think she was already pregnant and her water broke!
Thanks for keeping us so well informed about your weather damage, and here's to hearts not broken!
Tina
Posted by: Tina Y | August 25, 2008 at 12:32 PM
Did you have your acorn on your window sill?
Posted by: Stephanie | August 25, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Martha~ As you can see, we are all so relieved that no one was hurt! But I can't imagine how scary it must be for you! At least your property can be repaired. You seem to be quite the "lightening - attractor!" Yikes.
As for the post above me from Stephanie - could someone explain an acorn on the window sill? Is that a good thing or not? I'm not sure which way to understand that, but I'm fascinated to know.
Thanks.
Posted by: Barb | August 25, 2008 at 01:44 PM
Mother Nature sure gets her way, sometimes, doesn't she?!! She is definitely a force to fear reverently!
As I'm scrolling down your photos, my face is all crunched up, viewing and reading about all your damages. Out of my mouth came an occasional "oh noooooo"!! It WAS fortunate that no fire was caused...I know that our homes and our worldly goods are God-given, and we're just the stewards of them all, but the memories that happen within those walls we call home - well, there's just no replacement value on things of that magnitude!
I'm glad that things, for the most part, are okay at Lily Pond and can be fixed or replaced fairly readily!
=^..^=
Posted by: Cindy Bricker | August 25, 2008 at 01:56 PM
Martha so sorry about all the damage to your beautiful home. Like everyone so glad you and the dogs were not there. I think Lilly Pond is the most beautiful residence of course I love the beautiful blue green trim. I remember when you had it on the cover of the magazine and had a regular living room on your front porch and all the roses you planted. Stephanie I am going to go right now and get an acorn out of my yard and put on my window sill. I had never heard that before but I have heard that lightning will not strike an oak tree.
Posted by: Pam | August 25, 2008 at 02:09 PM