Common Current: OKC Neighbors Describe Shocking Lightning Strikes

Sunday night storms gave Oklahoma City firefighters a busy night. The department responded to more than half-a-dozen calls about lightning strikes. 

One of those calls was from Sarah Heck on Northwest 180th Street. 

With a sudden flash of light, her home darkened. 

“It just exploded,” said Heck, holding a charred panel that used to cover the fireplace switch. “It was all the way down the hall.” 

The smoke-stained drywall now surrounds the switch box, and half her home has no power. 

It happened as she tucked her son into bed in his firefighter pajamas. She was unaware he would soon meet several. 

“The rain and lightning and thunder started getting louder and louder,” she recalled. “Then all of the sudden it was extremely loud.” 

It was so loud she thought her windows blew out. 

Lightning struck once. 

For those who believe it doesn’t strike twice, just ask her neighbor. 

“It was kind of like a sonic boom,” Stefanie Latham remembered. 

She heard that boom in 2016 when a bolt struck a nail on her roof. 

“No electricity anywhere,” she said. “We lost all of our electronics.” 

Sarah Heck already heard that story. 

“We’re great friends,” said Stefanie. “Our kids play together and I can’t believe literally next door.” 

The two are separated by just a yard. They’re now bonded by a common current. 

Though Stefanie was spared from a strike this storm, for Sarah, the shock remains. 

When your circumstances seem to darken, it’s nice to have the light of experience – just a yard away.