Diane and I were watching the NBC Nightly News when there was a bright flash of light in our backyard. Then, the BOOOM! When we looked out, we saw one of our tall trees toppled by a lightning strike and it demolished our neighbor’s shed.

Diane, who is always thinking, told me: “Call the tree service and get on their list.” So I called Kelley Tree Service (no relation) that we’ve used before and the wife of the Tree Guy said, “We’ll drive over to your house to scope it out in a half hour.” That’s why we love these people!

Sure enough, the Tree Couple arrived in a half hour and we all walked out to assess the damage. There were tree limbs everywhere! Plus our neighbor’s shed was crushed. The Tree Guy told us: “We can clean this all up tomorrow. We’ll be here around noon. It will cost about $2000.”

Our home insurance deductible is $2500 so Diane and I knew we would be paying for this tree damage. I called AMICA INSURANCE and asked them about whether we would have to pay for our neighbor’s shed. “No, that lightning strike is an Act of God. Your neighbor’s insurance will have to pay for it.”

The next day the Tree Crew showed up with trucks, tractors, wood chippers, and a bucket truck with an Aerial Lift. The chain saws were busy buzzing and cutting. The chipper was grinding up the leaves and limbs. One of the trucks hauled the logs and stumps away. The whole operation took a couple hours. When the job was done and the Tree Crew were packing up their equipment, I went out and tipped each member $20. “Thank you for doing such a great job,” I told them. They worked in 90 degree heat with high humidity.

More lightning storms are predicted for the 4th of July weekend so this might not be over! Have you encountered a lightning strike?