Denver woman struck by lightning after it hits tree in front of her window
DENVER (KDVR) — A Denver woman feels lucky to be safe after being struck by lightning through a window during Saturday's storms.
Making for a cozy weekend in for these Vazquez sisters.
Denver broke a 75-year daily record for rainfall on Sunday: NWS
Cristina and Sarai Vasquez live along Federal Boulevard in West Highlands. They decided to stay in on Saturday night due to the storms. Cristina was freshly showered and decided to sit by a window near the top of their home.
Watching the storm gain strength outside, her sister Sarai warned her not to sit too close before the unthinkable happened.
'Since the window is right by the tree, it literally looked like the whole back of the window was lit up, I just saw fire, and then it sounded like an earthquake, and my ears were ringing, and that's why I was staring at her like, did this just happen?' Sarai said.
Lightning struck a large tree in their front yard and those electric currents traveled through the window and hit Cristina, who says she was on her phone when it all happened.
'I heard a loud noise and so I looked out of the window and then as soon as I looked back at my phone I see my arms light up, all my arm hairs stood up and then I turned at looked at my sister and my phone flew out of my hands,' she said.
She felt some tingling and then numbness directly after, but was shockingly okay. They called 911 just to be safe and responding paramedics say they were just as shocked to see her unharmed.
Supercell forms 3 tornadoes in Colorado Friday, including an EF-2: NWS
'I thought it was no big deal until the guys from the ambulance, one of them said, 'did you see the tree? You are one in a million, you need to go buy a lottery ticket.' I'm still shocked about it. I told my parents I always knew I was electric,' she joked.
The National Weather Service is giving the following tips
Indoor Lightning Safety:
Stay off corded phones, computers and other electrical equipment that put you in direct contact with electricity.
Avoid plumbing, including sinks, baths and faucets.
Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches.
Do not lie on concrete floors, and do not lean against concrete walls.
She is spreading her story to warn others of the dangers of these types of storms.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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