JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A family is safe after lightning hit their home Thursday afternoon in the San Jose neighborhood.
It happened at the Kings Trail Apartments near Wolfson High School. The lightning struck the top of their building, and the family could smell smoke.
At least one woman was inside one of the building’s units at the time. We spoke with her daughter, who asked not to be named.
“When my sister called me, I was frightened. I immediately left work, came straight here. Just wanted to make sure my mom was OK,” she said.
Firefighters said the bolt likely hit the top of the 1960s-era building and traveled down the side, blowing out a section of wooden paneling, which crews found had rotted.
The apartment unit started filling with smoke. The woman said she was on Facetime with her mother.
“I thank God that everybody’s OK. The neighbors, my mom, my sister,” she said.
The American Red Cross is providing assistance to the two adults and one child who had to leave the home.