Two homes struck by lightning, one woman injured

MIAMI (WSVN) -- Two homes were struck by lightning, injuring one of the residents, as severe storms swept across South Florida.

A woman is expected to be OK after Miami-Dade Fire Rescue paramedics had to treat her at her house after lightning struck, as she sat next to a window when it broke following a crash of lightning Thursday afternoon. She complained about ringing in her ears and a tingling sensation.

A bolt struck the home, located on the 17400 block of Southwest 297 Terrace, in Southwest Miami-Dade. Her husband, Robert Nelson, confirmed she was sitting next to the window at the time of the strike. "I heard a bang, and she started yelling," he said.

Earlier that day, a lightning strike left a hole in the bedroom of a home in Little Gables, located in the 4300 block of Southwest 13 Street. The homeowner, Karen Shane says a friend informed her of the strike. "He came in here and said, 'You've got to come home. You're not going to believe the mess in your bedroom,'" she said.

Shane used plastic to cover the hole, but the strike also caused damage to the interior of her home. "Here's a piece of charred wood that came flying off the wall and was hot to the touch," she said. "I came in, and I see the plaster and the wood had been hit by lightning. All this came in, hit the ceiling fan, knocked out four of the blades."

The storms, which developed in the northeast and gradually moved south, affected Miami-Dade County with lightning and heavy rainfall.

(Copyright 2007 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)