JESSAMINE COUNTY, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Storms ripped through central Kentucky Thursday morning, leaving damage across Jessamine County, including at a bargain retail store and a church where a lightning strike destroyed a steeple.
Max Vanderpool was at Generations Community Church in Nicholasville when he heard something unusual coming from neighboring Ollie's Bargain Outlet.
"I heard the sound of what sounded like low-rolling thunder, but it didn't stop," Vanderpool said.
He went outside to investigate and found water shooting from the top of the building.
"So that's when I was like, okay, something's up, went out the back door, and there was this gusher, 30 feet high," Vanderpool said.
Vanderpool said the church next door has dealt with water damage before.
"My first thought when I saw all that water was...noooo. We had water issues on our side of the building in 2021 and I know Ollie's had some leaks from time to time and so I knew it was bad, I mean, it was like the size of shearing off a fire hydrant," Vanderpool said.
Jessamine County Emergency Management says at least four structures sustained damage from the storms, including the Lexington Chinese Christian Church, where work was already underway Thursday to repair the roof.
David Gilinski and James Crowe of American Roofing Company stopped by the church while surveying storm damage in the area. The two believe a lightning strike caused the damage to the church's steeple.
"My mouth dropped to the floor. I was like, this is something you see in a movie. I've never seen anything like it before," Gilinski said.
Crowe described the steeple's appearance in the aftermath.
"The way it looks like an open banana peel," Crowe said.
Gilinski said the force of the strike was unlike anything he had seen.
"Lightning does the same thing as a bomb. And that looks like there was a bomb put in the middle of it because it blew out every single direction," Gilinski said.
Gilinski said the damage extended well beyond the top of the steeple.
"This is the craziest thing I've ever seen. The lightning hit the tip of the steeple, exploded, all the way down the fascia, all the way down, and then there is debris 150 feet, I'm talking like fiberglass that weighs like 10 pounds flew 150 feet back towards the parking lot," Gilinski said.
Jessamine County Emergency Management is asking anyone who experienced storm damage to submit a damage assessment report to the agency.
