Lightning strike roof of New Jersey home, family grateful for minimal damage

A family in Clifton, NJ, was lucky that lightning struck their home during a thunderstorm, but they are now considering purchasing a lightning rod to prevent future damage.

CLIFTON, N.J. (PIX11) -- A family in Clifton, New Jersey, is hoping the saying is true that lightning never strikes twice.

That’s because lightning struck their home Sunday night during the fierce and fast thunderstorms that raced through the tri-state area. 

“They told us we were lucky. Once again, God bless,” Sebastian Moreno, the son of the homeowner, told PIX11 News.

Moreno can’t believe how lucky his family is. Lightning struck the roof of his family’s home on Grove Street in Clifton when they weren’t home as powerful thunderstorms tore through Passaic County.

When they pulled into the driveway and saw the debris, they immediately called the fire department.

“We were driving in and saw a little debris on the side, just the siding, but we were kind of confused,” Moreno told PIX11 News. “Damage is so small. Fire department said we were so lucky there was no fire. Once again, we’re so blessed."

Sebastian said their only inconvenience is that some of their TVs, radios, and routers aren’t working now. Sebastian said it’s too early to know how much or how little it will cost to repair the damage.

Sebastian said he never saw the need for a lightning rod on top of the house until this happened and now he’s going to rush right out and buy one.