by Mike Schnitzel
The strike occurred July 12, a tempestuous night that saw high wind gusts and an inch or more of rain in some parts of Nassau County, according to reports from the National Weather Service.
Fire officials said that lightning struck the top floor of the Nicalek family¹s Amherst Road home at about 6:30 p.m. ³It all happened so fast,² said Karol Nicalek, who lives with his wife, two children and two dogs. ³The lightning struck and the house was on fire immediately, so we called 911.²
Nicalek¹s son, Chris, was sleeping in an upstairs room minutes before the strike. ³Luckily, he got up to take a shower, and that¹s where he was when the lightning struck,² said Nicalek. ³If he was still in that upstairs room he could have been killed.²
Nicalek said that Valley Stream Fire Department officials were on the scene within five minutes. According to fire officials, the top floor of the home was destroyed, but everyone in the home got out safely, and there were no injuries caused by the blaze that erupted from the strike, which took an hour to bring under control. Firefighters added that it was important that the fire was contained to the Nicalek home because of the close proximity of other houses.
Page Road resident Nannette Stanya heard the lightning strike from her home around the corner. ³I heard this big boom and then the sound of fire engines,² Stanya said. ³Then I heard sawing, and I turned to my cousin and said, ŒWho would be sawing in the rain?¹ Turns out it was the fire department sawing the roof of their house to get to the fire.²
Village Clerk Vincent Ang, a lifelong Valley Stream resident, said that while lightning striking a home is unusual, it is not unheard of in the village. ³I can remember a few houses being struck by lightning when I was a kid, as well as trees and streets,² said Ang. ³It¹s unusual, but it has happened.²
Nicalek said that fire officials told him his house would be uninhabitable for six to nine months. ³It¹s been a tough few days,² he said. ³There¹s a lot of cleanup to do, and we can¹t use the house because it¹s flooded.² During the time it takes to make repairs to the house, Nicalek said, he and his family will either get a trailer to live in or stay at a hotel.
Comments about this story? MSchnitzel@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 265.
