On this blog, I never post pictures that aren't mine. However, I wanted to share this image because a neighbor of mine took this a few minutes after a lightning bolt struck my house. I wasn't home -- I'm still in Europe for 5 more days -- and he shot this just after he called 911. He heard the strike and sent his son to investigate, thinking that a tree was hit. His quick action in calling 911 saved the house. The attic caught fire immediately after the lightning blew a hole in the roof. The fire department arrived on the scene extremely quickly and they prevented the fire from spreading. They told my neighbor that in 10 more minutes the house would have been a total loss. There is still extensive damage, and the entire roof has to be taken off and rebuilt. Drywall broke down from the ceiling due to water damage, the AC units were blown, and there is a lot of damage to the electrical system.
All in all, it's a mess. The in-home workshops I've been giving in Photoshop and making money in photography will have to be put on hiatus since everything in my house has to be moved out, cleaned from smoke damage, and protected from the construction. I will live in temporary housing provided by the insurance company for the next four or five months. If my family would have been home and in contact with water -- washing dishes or taking a shower, for example -- the consequences could have been deadly. We are very lucky. In addition, all of my photographs, computer, etc. were spared.
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