Lightning Strikes Universalist Church in New York; Sets Building on Fire During Storms That Leaves Over 220,000 Without Power
A Queens, New York City Universalist Church building was struck by a massive lightning bolt Tuesday that set the building ablaze during severe thunderstorms that hit parts of New York and New Jersey, leaving almost 225,000 people without power.
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Queens was hit by a lightning bolt and caught fire during a thunderstorm that rolled through the area on Tuesday evening, according to NYPD. About 60 firefighters responded to the blaze on the roof and the third floor of the sanctuary, according to the FDNY.
The fire was contained to those areas and put out in within 30 minutes. The sanctuary, however, sustained enough damage to make it unusable for the time being, according to a post on the church's Facebook page.
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"The steeple was completely burned, but FDNY was able to extinguish the fire before additional structural damage occurred. However, there is considerable water and smoke damage to the sanctuary and to the basement fellowship hall behind it," noted the church in the post. "We won't know the full extent of the damage until there is an inspection."
Authorities said no one was injured in the fire.
The system of storms struck parts of New Jersey downing trees and power lines across the state, according to ABC 7 online.
Strong winds ripped off part of the exterior of the Deptford Mall in the Gloucester County area of New Jersey and blew out car windows and even flipped a car onto its roof. The National Weather Service investigated the area on Wednesday and there were no reports of any injuries or fatalities.
New Jersey electric company PSEG reports that about 223,041 customers are without power due to wind and heavy rain from the storm. Crews are currently on hand to repair damaged equipment and restore power to customers, according to the company.
The extreme heat also lead to problems yesterday as several people were treated for heat-related issues at a high school graduation ceremony in Egg Harbor Township. The heat index hovered near 100 degrees with temperatures in the high 80s.
PSEG expects to have everyone's power restored by Thursday.
