Overview
- A 13-year-old boy in Cypress was shocked while using a computer after lightning struck near his home and, according to the family, traveled through a metal part of his desk into his body.
- Firefighters and Harris County EMS responded, checked the teen on scene, and determined he did not need hospital transport after feeling dizzy but stable.
- Responders and the family documented visible property damage, including a small fire in the attic and a hole in an interior wall.
- Harris County Precinct 4 Constables warned residents to avoid corded electronics and to stay away from wiring and plumbing during thunderstorms because lightning can travel through a home's electrical system.
- The case illustrates how lightning can follow conductive paths such as trees, household wiring, and metal furniture to cause injury or start fires and underscores the need for simple indoor storm precautions.