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LyinDan
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7/26/2016 8:50:50 PM
So, my house burned...
Fortunately, not "up".
Saturday afternoon, the wife and I started out for my son's house, 20 miles away. A storm was just arriving. Vicious thunderstorms are not at all unusual in Arkansas, didn't think that much about it. I did unplug all TV's and computers before leaving, because that's just smart, given vicious thunderstorms. 5 miles down the road, I knew something was bad about this storm. Crosswinds were blowing up dust from farmland across the road so thick I could not see to drive. Literally blinded. I thought we going to be in a tornado. We inched along until we could turn back toward our hometown, then did so. At home, we waited out the storm, which was whipping trees back and forth like crazy. Fortunately, nothing big broke near us. Eventually, it abaited, and at the tail end of the rain, we set off again for our son's house. A few miles down the road, right at the very tail of the storm, an enormous lightning bolt flew up into the air by the road. It made me very nervous, but we drove on.
Arrived to find most of the town out of power, big electric poles broken on main street. Fortunately our son's house was still on, we had a nice visit. Then my phone gave the "message" tinkle without ever ringing. It was the local police, "Your house was on fire. The fire department has it out, but there's some damage to the third story..call me".
Now THAT is a chilling call, let me tell ya.
We rushed back home.
Expected to find a gaping hole in the roof, water drenching everything we owned.
Well, we were unbelievably fortunate.
Lightning had glanced off the tree by the north tip of the house, and set the siding on fire. Our across the street neighbors were both gone at the time, so they didn't see it. Someone driving by apparently saw what happened and phoned the fire department, who responded very quickly (we're only 12 or so blocks away). Aside from a kicked in door, there was only a little water in house, enough to drench a 2nd story bedroom carpet, but only in 6X6 spot. A bit of a drip through that floor into the kitchen, but not enough to mess up anything.
It must have been a spectacular bolt, throwing fire and plasma everywhere. It cremated the cable drop across the street from our house, like a hundred feet away from the house. Shorted and smoked the entire cable. Took the cable guy (once he could show up, another story, of small town cable company, eight phone calls, etc.) three hours to fix my internet, everything was blown up. Half the 40 breakers in the electric panel tripped. Half a dozen light bulbs blew. The cable modem and two routers ate blinding shit. Our downstairs TV's (unplugged, mind you) HDMI inputs quit working. A TV converter (unplugged) quit. A touch lamp (unplugged) gave up. There's probably undiscovered stuff, cause the area of frying plasma must have covered half the house. Just for a second.
So, do fortunate, though, considering. Thank you, universe, and whatever runs it.
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LyinDan
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7/26/2016 8:52:05 PM
So, "so", fortunate.
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7/27/2016 3:08:20 AM
wow. Glad you evaded devastation.
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Steve White
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7/27/2016 4:55:37 AM
OMG!
That is terrible! Sorry to hear this.
Steve
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7/27/2016 7:36:58 AM
Still looks like plenty of work there, hope you were insured - glad you're safe
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Chandra Moon
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7/27/2016 7:46:27 AM
Glad it wasn't even worse but a bad shock all the same!
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LyinDan
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7/27/2016 9:54:04 AM
The only actual fire damage is what you see in the pic. Strictly on the exterior of the house. Most of it is vinyl siding that flamed (how the hell is flammable vinyl allowed? Dunno), the only wood that burned is the original exterior wood siding right by the window. Inside the attic, not even a smidge of smoke. No roof damage whatever, even the shingles are OK.
Insurance? Deductible prolly won't even cover that. I'll be hanging out that window fixing all that myseff. Gotta go get a little wood, a little vinyl, a little aluminum this weekend.
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Two Silo Complex
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7/27/2016 9:57:28 AM
Holy Shit Dan,
I'm sorry that this happened but I am also glad that someone called it in and the fire department got it our fast.
Two Silo Complex,
Ken
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LyinDan
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7/27/2016 10:08:07 AM
Thanks all for the well-wishes.
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CTWitt.2
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7/27/2016 10:54:11 AM
Wow, that's one for the books! Glad to hear things didn't end up too badly there, at least.
Witt
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Bryon Tosoff
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7/27/2016 3:26:47 PM
Frack, thats horrible, hope you are managing ok
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Hop On Pop
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7/27/2016 3:55:18 PM
A friend of mine here in town had his house burn down recently, too.
Lost everything.
Thankfully, however, not each other. Everyone was okay. Glad to hear that you all are okay, too.
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LyinDan
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7/27/2016 4:35:08 PM
A lightning bolt typically features from 100 million to a billion volts of electric. Yes, really, that is not a mistake.
The indecypherably crazy thing is how little damage actually resulted here from that. I am unutterably thankful.
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Hank Elroy
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7/28/2016 1:10:31 PM
well tarnation Dan that does look bad. Elroy looks pretty rough after a night of the moon shine. I'll tell you what that is not a sight you want to wake up to.
Hope you git your ranch fixed up right quick.
Hank
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SILVERWOODSTUDIO
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7/28/2016 4:05:13 PM
lady luck is on your side---still a shock though !!
all da best with the fix up !
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7/29/2016 7:22:42 AM
Thank you God, for not doing so much worse.
Because you're right, lighting ain't pullin' no punches.
God can be funny with His demonstrations. Not haha funny, but Whoa---
Like, if you wonder, as we probably all have from time to time,
"Is God really at all mindful of me and my little life",
and then He sticks his big ol' head right up to you and goes "YEAH".
You just got a YEAH. The very measure, of How Present God Is,
is contained within your very astute assessment of how worse it coulda been.
Wow.
God go easy on him now, will you please, Father?
Do this for me, Lord.
Thank you.
Love, ~L
Glad everyone's okay.
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Francesca Tamellini
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7/29/2016 2:00:42 PM
We need you! Don't let that happen again!
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Stoneman
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7/29/2016 9:40:29 PM
So sorry about your house. What a harrowing experience. Glad you are safe to Dan!
Much Respect,
Stoneman
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LyinDan
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7/30/2016 7:26:28 PM
Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes, sincerely.
Now it's time to let this thread DIE DIE DIE!
Post no more, there are other things to talk about.
Thanks!
After a week, I now have supplies to fix everything, maybe that'll be a separate thread. Weather here sucks donkey dick, but maybe gonna try to fix some stuff Sunday. Might post pics of my dummass seff hanging out a window or sompin.
Thanks!
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