Lightning strike terrifies family

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This pine tree was struck by lightning in the yard of Russell and Tanya Noyes Monday night during severe thunderstorms moving through the area. The four wheeler and kayak were also both destroyed. (Photo submitted by Tanya Noyes)

DIXFIELD- Russ and Tanya Noyes were praising God Tuesday morning after being jolted from their bed by a horrific sound Monday night during the series of thunderstorms that rolled through the area, leaving in their wake rivers of water, hale and downed trees.

The couple had just gone to bed and all of a sudden, “there was a big boom,” noted Tanya. “It was like something blew up. We thought it was our furnace or something electrical. I started screaming for my kids. We heard another boom and we saw flames out our bedroom window and it was all glowing orange. My husband was telling me it was the pine tree in our yard, but it was just so scary.”

The large pine tree that sat close to their bedroom window had been struck by lightning, caught fire instantly, the fire spread to their son’s four-wheeler and blew that up, spreading the debris to a nearby kayak and destroying it as well.

“It was just unbelievable,” stated Tanya. “By the time we got outside the fire was gone and there was no smoke. I couldn’t believe what had happened. Then it all started sinking in this morning when we went outside and saw how close Russell and I came to dying. If the tree would have come toward the house instead of the woods, we would have been crushed. Thank God for His grace!”

The couple is in the process of remodeling their house and Tanya stated that she thought maybe something had gone wrong with the wiring. “It’s crazy what thoughts go through your mind when you have a situation like that. I’m so grateful the tree went toward the woods and we’re all okay.”

Storms traveled through the valley on Monday night dumping up to an inch of rain in some areas, with inch-and-a-half size hale pelting neighborhoods five miles out of downtown Andover.

With recent weather patterns, more thunderstorms with the chance for lightning strikes and hale were being forecasted into Tuesday evening as well.