During recent storms producing flash flooding in Manhattan, Junction City resident Traci Scott experienced a different type of damage to her front yard.
Scott claims to have experienced a close call that evening, as she witnessed lightning hit just outside her home during the storm. The next morning she exited her home to find a three-foot hole in her driveway caused by that lightning, so she called the local fire department for a post-storm inspection.
The fire department found the damage interesting, as there was no evidence of damage in nearby trees or elsewhere on Scott’s home. However, scott says the electricity had hit the rebar under the concrete, traveled to the porch and created more damage as it exited.
The damage to Scott’s home can serve as a reminder to other Flint Hills residents of the importance of safety during severe weather. The American Red Cross states that thunderstorms are considered severe when the storm produces hail of 1 inch in diameter or 58 mile per hour winds.
Stay tuned to 1350 KMAN or other local radio during severe weather warnings, or visit noaa.gov for accurate local weather information.
