Lightning Strikes Leechburg Church's Steeple

LEECHBURG (KDKA) – LEECHBURG (KDKA) – Lightning struck and damaged a church in Armstrong County.

The incident happened at First United Methodist Church on Main Street in Leechburg around noon Monday.

The lightning strike sent the shingles from the steeple to the ground below. A parked car was hit by the debris.

"I was going down the steps and I thought I got – I feel like I got shot in the back," Sherri Henry, a witness, said.

She lives across the street from the church.

"I was on the couch sleeping and I heard the big bang and it scared the crap out of me," Colleen Henry, a witness, said.

The damage to the church was limited to the steeple, but it is extensive. There's still a bell inside the tower, but the church no longer uses it.

Most of the pieces from the steeple landed on the parked car, smashing the windshield.

"The car was completely smashed," Mindi Syman said. "The front window was smashed in. The roof was all dented in. It was a sight to see."

The church says they've already started to get estimates for repairs. The damage will not affect services.