Lightning Strikes Building

By IAN HICKS
For at least the second time in two weeks, wild weather caused much more than rain to fall from the sky.

Thunderstorms again created a potentially hazardous situation Monday when lightning struck a building on the 3100 block of Belmont Street in Bellaire, scattering bricks and debris across the road.

Neffs Fire Department Chief Rodney Driscoll said the lightning bolt caused an upper portion of the building’s facade to collapse. Firefighters entered the structure but did not find evidence of fire. No injuries were reported, and Driscoll noted the building was unoccupied when the strike occurred at about 3:45 p.m.

Chunks of brick landed as far away as the opposite sidewalk, although no damage to surrounding buildings or vehicles was reported.

Jordan Roth, an employee of Hughes Xerographic Equipment, witnessed the incident from the business across the street.

“I looked out the window and saw the lightning hit,” Roth said, describing the bolt as large and very bright. “I looked back and saw light coming out of our electrical socket. Then I turned back to the window and saw the bricks fall.”

The building’s apparent owner declined to comment, simply noting the strike was “an act of God.” No information was given on the extent of the damage.

Bellaire police Chief Mike Kovalyk said he believes the building is owned by Paul/Jay Associates, a design consulting firm based on Union Street, Bellaire.

The building struck Monday was the latest of several local structures damaged recently by lightning. Nearly two weeks ago, severe thunderstorms wreaked havoc across the Ohio Valley.

That particular storm claimed the life of an elderly Weirton woman who could not escape her home after lightning set it ablaze. That same morning, a lightning bolt struck the chimney of a Shadyside residence. While that home did not catch fire, falling debris did damage several nearby buildings.