May 31, 2006 12:12 pm US/Central
Man, Boy Recover From Lightning Strike
South Suburbs Clean Up After Storms Knock Down Trees
by Kristyn Hartman
CALUMET CITY, Ill. (CBS) ―
Hundreds of people across the area have a lot of cleaning up to do after storms rolled through the area overnight, but a Northwest Side man and boy are counting their blessings.
As CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman reports, Jonathan Guzman, 15, and another person were struck by lightning on Tuesday night.
The lightning strike occurred in the 2300 block of North Melvina Avenue, not far from Grand and Fullerton avenues.
Guzman was taken to Children's Memorial Hospital where he was listed in good condition, while the other man was treated and released from Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. Guzman told a hospital representative earlier that he was outside a home on the block when lightning struck, and he then felt a tingling feeling.
That made for some scary moments for other members of the family.
"I was crying and I was just nervous inside," said the man's niece, Shantell Ruelas.
Earlier, it was believed the man who was struck by lightning was Guzman's father, but as the information develops it appears as if they might be neighbors.
Meanwhile, others across the area were working on cleaning up after the violent overnight storm system knocked down trees and cut power. The south suburbs were particularly hard hit.
Charlie Tarpley of Lansing reported that a tree fell onto his house.
"I was going to the garage and (my wife) was standing by the window and started screaming, and I come running to the window, and I looked and that tree was coming toward the house," Tarpley said. "After that, you see the nest."
He was referring to the nest of resident swan Rachel, who never left her eggs at the house. Tarpley calls it a case of "mother battles Mother Nature and wins."
In Calumet City earlier Wednesday morning, block after block, large tree limbs could be seen on the ground or on top of power lines. That is keeping city and Commonwealth Edison workers extremely busy.
Calumet City resident Gordon Yocum said the overnight storms made for a frightening experience as he stood near a fallen tree near his home.
"It was really, really coming down really hard," Yocum said. "It almost knocked us off our feet as a matter of fact when running to the house. I'm not sure if lightning hit this tree or not or just the wind, but it tore it all down."
Yocum said the tree just missed his wife's car. Like many others, Yocum was also without power, as could be seen at the dark, lightless intersection where he lived.
The storms began late Tuesday afternoon with heavy rains and lightning.
In near west suburban Schiller Park on Wednesday morning, the rain caused major street flooding. Irving Park Road was shut down for a while near 25th Avenue because of standing water.
Some north suburban areas, including the Lake County village of Wadsworth, were also hit hard. In Wadsworth, there were two lightning strikes, one of which hit and destroyed a garage and the other of which hit a house. There were no injuries.
In Chicago on Tuesday, a downpour delayed the start of a concert in Millennium Park.
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