Inside the family home struck by lightning leaving 10 foot hole and £20,000 worth of damage

Lightning Strikes Family Home, Leaving 10-Foot Hole and £20,000 in Damage

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A pregnant woman faces a £20,000 repair cost after a lightning strike created a 10-foot gap in her residence. The incident occurred on Wednesday, March 25, in Gristhorpe, near Filey, North Yorkshire. Tara Craven described the moment a thunderous blast tore through her three-bedroom home, leaving her and her family stunned.

At the time, Tara, 28, was cleaning dishes, and her husband Joseph, 32, was bathing their two young sons. The house shook violently, and lights flickered out before plunging into darkness. The family quickly evacuated with their dog, only to find their home had been struck by a powerful lightning bolt.

“It was a complete shock, and the experience was terrifying,” said Mrs. Craven, who is four weeks away from childbirth.

Outside, car alarms blared, and the house filled with dust and a pungent electrical burning odor. Firefighters from Scarborough and Filey arrived at the scene as the explosion dislodged the chimney and portions of the roof. Photographs revealed extensive internal damage, including collapsed walls, sagging ceilings, and a shattered conservatory roof.

The lightning blast also caused their television to explode, scattering debris across the living room. Due to safety concerns, the family was temporarily relocated to a Travelodge in Scarborough. Mrs. Craven noted that bricks were scattered up to 30 feet away, indicating the force of the strike.

“The debris also damaged the adjacent home and struck another neighbor’s vehicle,” she added.

Several nearby homes lost power due to the storm’s impact on the telegraph pole. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service stated in a report: “Crews responded to reports of a lightning strike on a telegraph pole, resulting in a power surge that affected multiple properties, causing electrical sockets to fail and power outages.”

Metro has contacted the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and Northern Powergrid for further details. The incident has left the family waiting to return home, though no one was injured.

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