Lightning strike causes damage to Nina Pineda's New Jersey home
NORWOOD, New Jersey (WABC) -- When you spend a career chronicling other people's misfortunes, you never think it will happen to you.
On Friday night, 7 on your Side's Nina Pineda jumped on Facebook to report her own storm damage - after a lightning bolt sliced down a giant tree, energizing the gas line leading to her house.
"I mean, this is the stuff we cover all the time," Nina said.
Nina's stove was destroyed, and firefighters pulled out the now-singed cabinetry as they put out the flames.
Staci Blank lives next door and watched it happen.
"And it all lights up for a second - and thunder was just tremendous," she said.
Chris Federici of the Norwood Police Department says Nina was lucky no one was home.
"Could have struck somebody, could have injured someone severely or killed them," he said.
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Nina was planning to barbecue Friday - on a grill hooked up to the same gas line. At the last minute, she and her family went out to dinner instead.
"I'm just grateful no one was home. In many of the situations we cover, someone's home and there's injuries. I mean, I'm really grateful," Nina said.
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