When Deb and Bruce Lamberton’s neighbor agreed to feed their cat, Picabo Street, it seemed like no big deal, but last Saturday night brought a fierce thunderstorm to their neighborhood.
“We were down in Roanoke taking care of our grandkids,” Bruce explains.
They had no idea what was happening back home. Then Deb got a call from her neighbor.
“And I said, ‘Beth! Everything okay?’" she recalls. ‘"She said well, it’s kind of bad news," the neighbor replied.
Lightning had hit their house, prompting Beth to check on the cat, smell smoke and call the fire department.
“They made it here in six minutes,” Bruce recounts.
“A number of neighbors sent videos. There must have been 14 units,” Deb adds.
“The chief called us to explain what was going on, gave us his home number if we needed to ask him any more questions,” says a grateful Bruce Lamberton.
The fire chief said the roof would have been engulfed in flames if they’d come fifteen minutes later. Instead, damage was minimized, and the Lambertons say they’ve learned important lessons. First, get to know your neighbors.
“We’re all on our phones,” Deb says. “We’re on our computers. Even walking – people are on their phones. Coming from Minnesota, you had to know your neighbors, because you or your neighbor were going to get stuck in the snow, and the only way you are going to get out was to have help pushing.”
Give someone a key. Let them know when you’ll be away, and consider unplugging your computer.
“Because even though a lot is in the cloud, you still have to get a new computer and re-install everything,” Bruce explains. “One simple pull of a plug could save you a lot.”
If your location is prone to strikes, consider installing a lightning protection system, and don’t count on surge protectors.
“A lightning strike is gigawatts of voltage, and the magnetic field created by that lightning strike – the TV across the street got nuked, and also it impaired our next-door neighbors’ electronics,” Deb says.
Make a donation to your local fire department, and finally, be kind to your cat.
“As my son, who’s law enforcement down in Roanoke said, ‘The cat saved the house!’
She says Picabo – a black and white tuxedo -- was a rescue from the local animal shelter, and she’s now proven a lucky addition to the family.
