Lightning sends chunks of concrete flying in Kansas family’s front yard
By Matt Flener
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, Kansas (KMBC) — Wayne and Emily Laurie and their two daughters escaped their rural Ottawa, Kansas, home on Thursday morning after lightning struck.
The lightning hit their home so hard, chunks of concrete flew onto their roof after electricity conducted through the rebar in their front sidewalk and porch.
Wayne Laurie said he got up to check on his dogs and saw a bright flash of lightning.
He saw the damage and woke up his wife Emily and daughters. They saw smoke and escaped safely after seeing char marks from the lightning on the base of their front door.
“Bottom line is, I’m glad that we got out,” Emily Laurie said. “And I’m glad that the rest of our home is okay, is fine, and that my kids are fine.”
The Lauries called out an electrician, who replaced multiple outlets within the home. They are now looking for answers about their HVAC system, too, after it struggled to trip on Thursday morning.
The Lauries had just moved back into their home in November 2025 after a fire in their garage. They are grateful this fire was not worse.
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