Storm Aftermath: Lightning Injuries, Homes Damaged
By Bob Gardinier, Albany Times Union, N.Y.
Jul. 19–A young girl struck by lightning near a main gate at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds in Ballston Spa late Friday was in the intensive care unit at Albany Medical Center Hospital today.
The girl, 15, whose name was not provided, and Laura Madelone, 34, of Latham were standing under a pine tree near Gate 3 on Prospect Street to get out of the rain when at about 11:30 p.m. lightning hit the tree and then them, village police Officer Scott Ostrander said. The two are related, but Ostrander didn’t know how.
They were rushed to Saratoga Hospital where Madelone remained Saturday afternoon. Ostrander said the teen was taken to the Albany hospital’s intensive care unit but had no further information on her condition.
Police said a storm was moving through at the time and it was raining hard and the women got separated from their group were waiting for a ride to pick them up when they were struck just before the fair was to close at midnight.
The storms that moved through last night also took down power lines across the area and by mid-Saturday afternoon nearly 6,000 people in three counties were without power, according to the National Grid.
Route 85 in Bethlehem reopened Saturday afternoon after it was closed at midnight between Fisher and Carstead Roads in Slingerlands. The downed power lines closed the short stretch as towering older trees common in the area were knocked down by high winds.
Two older homes at 8 and and 9 North Helderberg Parkway in Slingerlands, nearby the downed wires, received extensive damage after being hot by large trees. Police said there were no injuries.
Most of the damage in the area was confined to southern Albany County and the East Greenbush area of Rensselaer County.
According of the National Grid there were 3,765 powerless customers in Albany County and 1,680 in Rensselaer County. It was anticipated those customers will be back online at about 10 p.m. Officials said the 122 people without power in Schenectady County should have electricity by 5:15 p.m.
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