A lightning strike during a fierce storm on Sunday, May 25, caused significant damage to a home in north Lafayette County and shook neighborhoods across the region, leaving residents stunned by the power of the blast.

The strike occurred around 9 p.m. at 714 County Road 101, the home of Rod Storrs Sr., a retired U.S. Army pilot. Witnesses from Brittany Woods to Wellsgate and as far as Highway 30 reported a blinding flash followed by an intense, 30-second thunderclap that rattled windows and vibrated through homes.

“It sounded like a bomb went off,” said one resident on social media. Others said they felt the thunder in their chests and feared there had been an explosion at the nearby Winchester ammunition plant.

At the center of the blast, the lightning struck behind Storrs Sr.’s house. “Everything turned white,” said his son, Rod Storrs Jr. “I saw a ball of light move through the trees.”

The damage was extensive: a panel box was ripped from the wall, surge protectors were blown, windows shattered, a shed wall was blown off, and a metal door was thrown across a room. A large crater was left in the yard, and a well system was destroyed.

“There was a tremendous explosion,” said Storrs Sr., comparing the pressure to a depressurizing aircraft. Glass and dust filled the house, and smoke detectors blared as the house shook violently.

Despite the destruction, no one was injured. The Storrs family praised the response of North East Mississippi Electric Power Association, whose crews worked overnight to restore power and secure the scene.