A resident of Rowsell Boulevard in Gander never imagined as she watched a thunderstorm move through the town on the weekend that her home would be affected by a lightning strike.

Val Abbott works at the Canadian Forces Base on the opposite side of town and was fascinated watching the lighting as the storm passed through on Saturday.

She remembers thinking “hmmm, that looks pretty close.”

When she arrived home the next morning, she noticed the power was out, but didn’t think much of it until she went downstairs to investigate. She went to reboot the modem, and discovered plastic all over the floor, like something had “blown up.”

Abbott says luckily there was no-one home at the time. She thinks the lightning struck a nearby transformer, causing a power surge.

She wasn’t the only one affected however, another home appears to have suffered a direct hit, with damage to the roof and front deck.