A lightning strike totaled a St. Pete home Saturday morning. The homeowner forced to go up against Mother Nature for a second time in her life.
88-year-old, Barbara Crowder, lost her Glades Court home 25-years to the day she lost her previous home, in Miami, to Hurricane Andrew.
“She heard a loud bang during the night," described her son Gary Crowder.
That bang was a bolt of lightning striking her chimney and spreading fire across her home.
“Considering that her bedroom door was closed which didn’t let the smoke get in there and then she had to use her restroom and got up," he said, "Otherwise it might have been a different story.”
Barbara’s sons went sifting through the ashes.
“It's amazing, the fire melted the refrigerator," said Crowder, "We were just going through there and there is nothing”
Now, Barbara Crowder will have to rebuild for the second time. But no tears came to her eyes because like her children she realized something.
“It could have been a whole lot worse," said Gary Crowder.
So they’ll walk and lament the price of living in paradise. But celebrate having the chance to rebuild.
