Inside the family home struck by lightning leaving 10 foot hole and £20,000 worth of damage
Inside the family home struck by lightning leaving 10 foot hole and £20,000 worth of damage
A mother who is expecting a child faces a £20,000 repair cost after lightning caused a 10-foot gap in her home. The incident occurred in Gristhorpe, near Filey in North Yorkshire, on March 25, 2026, when a powerful strike turned her three-bedroom house into a scene of destruction.
Tara Craven described the moment a powerful lightning strike transformed her three-bedroom home in Gristhorpe, near Filey in North Yorkshire, into a scene of destruction at 8pm on March 25. She was washing dishes while her husband Joseph, 32, was in the bathroom with their children, aged two and three, as the home trembled and lights flickered out.
“We had no idea what had happened – other than it came as a huge shock, it was terrifying,” said Mrs Craven, who is four weeks away from giving birth.
The family rushed outside to find their home damaged by a massive lightning strike. The force of the impact rippled through the structure, causing lights to fail and a sudden, violent shaking. The 28-year-old mother, who is also a parent to two young boys, recalled the chaos that followed.
“As we stepped outside, every car alarm in the area blared, and the house was enveloped in a cloud of dust with an intense electrical burning odor,” she added.
Firefighters responded to the explosion, which tore off the chimney and part of the roof. Interior damage was equally severe, with walls shattered, ceilings collapsed, and the conservatory roof reduced to rubble. The strike also caused the TV to explode, spreading debris across the living room.
With electricity cut off for safety, the family had to move to a Travelodge in Scarborough. Mrs Craven noted the next day’s discovery of bricks scattered up to 30 feet away, a testament to the strike’s strength. One of these bricks even damaged a neighboring house and struck the roof of another’s car.
“At least no one was hurt or worse, so we have to count our blessings,” she said.
The lightning surge also left several homes in the Gristhorpe area without power. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed crews from Scarborough and Filey checked properties for fire risks and advised residents, before handing the situation to electricity board engineers.
Metro has contacted the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and Northern Powergrid for further details. Additional reports mention that a telegraph pole was struck by the storm, amplifying the impact on local infrastructure.
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