Denver Woman Struck by Lightning Through Window During Weekend Storms
A Denver woman is counting her blessings after surviving a terrifying lightning strike during Saturday’s storms. Cristina Vasquez and her sister, Sarai, were spending a cozy evening indoors at their home along Federal Boulevard in West Highlands when the unthinkable happened. As the storm intensified, Cristina, freshly showered, sat by a window near the top of their home, watching the weather. Sarai warned her not to sit too close, but moments later, a bolt of lightning struck a large tree in their front yard.
“The whole back of the window lit up, it looked like fire,” Sarai recounted. “Then it sounded like an earthquake, and my ears were ringing.” The powerful electric current from the strike traveled through the window, hitting Cristina while she was on her phone. “I heard a loud noise, looked out the window, and suddenly my arms lit up, all my arm hairs stood on end, and my phone flew out of my hands,” she said.
Despite feeling tingling and numbness afterward, Cristina was miraculously unharmed. The sisters called 911, and even the responding paramedics were astonished by her survival. One of them told her, “You are one in a million—you need to go buy a lottery ticket.” Still in shock, Cristina joked, “I always knew I was electric.”
The National Weather Service emphasizes the importance of indoor lightning safety, advising people to stay away from windows and doors, avoid corded phones and electrical equipment, steer clear of plumbing, and refrain from lying on concrete floors or leaning against concrete walls during storms. Cristina’s brush with danger is a stark reminder of the power of nature and the importance of taking precautions.
Determined to turn her experience into a warning, Cristina is sharing her story to raise awareness about the risks of lightning and the need for storm safety.
