lightning

Lightning Strikes Outside Sherborn Homes, Causes Power Outage

According to the National Weather Service, lightning strikes the U.S. about 25 million times a year and kills about 20 people per year

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It was a close call for two homes in Sherborn, Massachusetts, on Tuesday when lightning struck a tree and caused a power outage.

Andy Errico said he had just gotten out of the shower when he heard a loud crack and saw a "big orange flash."

"I thought my truck got struck or the chicken coop but then it didn’t and I found pieces of plastic in the hallway. That was the light switch that blew," he said.

Errico called the fire department when he realized something was smoking, but there was no major damage at his Washington Street home. His neighbors lost power.

"I just thought there’d be more switches out, more things blown out," he said.

Fire officials said no one was hurt.

According to the National Weather Service, lightning strikes the U.S. about 25 million times a year and kills about 20 people per year. It is hotter than the sun. If you hear thunder or see lightning, you should go inside to wait out the storm.

Last week, a 22-year-old man from Boston was killed in a lightning strike in Wyoming, and in a separate incident, three people were killed in a lightning strike near the White House.

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