WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WKBW) — When Alexa Duffy woke up on Wednesday afternoon for her night shift at ECMC she never expected that her home was about to be struck by lightning.
"It shook the entire house it was insane," said Duffy.
On Friday she returned to the home for the first time since the fire, showing 7 News' Michael Schwartz the damage.
Duffy rents the upstairs of the two-unit home in West Seneca and was standing in her kitchen when the storm rolled through around 3 p.m.
The lightning struck her roof, right above where she was standing.
Her neighbor across the street captured it on video.
Duffy didn't realize it from the inside, but the roof had caught fire. That's when her neighbor came rushing over. Duffy grabbed what she could, and got out.
"It's old cedar wood so it went up quick," said Duffy.
Firefighters rushed to the scene and quickly doused the flames. Just about everything in Duffy's home suffered water damage.
The heat from the strike was so hot it melted aluminum trim on the home.
From the inside, you can see holes through the burnt roof, still, Duffy told Schwartz that she feels lucky to have survived.
"I'm lucky," said Duffy. "I'm a nurse. I see worse every day, I'm lucky to have made it out alive honestly."
Duffy recently graduated from the RN program at Trocaire College. She is currently an LPN at ECMC. Unknown to Duffy, a GoFundMe page was created to help her.
Karen Stollberg and her boyfriend rent the first floor of the home. On Friday afternoon they were moving their things outside since water came through their ceiling.
"Trying to get everything out of the house to see what's damaged and not," explained Stollberg.
"I just want to thank the neighbors," said an emotional Stollberg. "Everyone's been so sweet."
Both Duffy and Stollberg both have renters insurance. The home can't be lived in at this time. Stollberg is staying in a hotel, and hoping to move back in the coming months.
Duffy is staying with family. She said she looks to have a lightning rod on her next home.
An employee from the National Fire Adjustment Company told Schwartz that lightning rods can help, but it's not always a guarantee to protect your house from a lightning strike. A lightning bolt can carry anywhere from 100 million to 1 billion volts of electricity.
The NFA employee said about a dozen structures get struck by lightning in Erie County each year.
The Red Cross is helping in this matter, and firefighters are being credited for responding fast to save the home.
