A Tuesday afternoon thunderstorm caused significant damage in southern Calhoun County in the form of lightning strikes that started house fires.
Cathleen Hych sorts through her belongings after her family home was destroyed by fire Tuesday night.
Calhoun City and Derma fire departments were paged at 3 p.m. for a fire alarm at Bailey Gordon's house which had been struck by lightning. Reports from firemen who responded was there was damage done to the house.
Minutes later another lightning strike took out a transformer on a Natchez Trace EPA utility pole.
Less than 15 minutes later another strike sparked a fire at the home of James and Cathleen Hych on CR 400.
No one was at home at the time of the fire that destroyed much of their house. Neighbors Ed Pittman and M.D. Jennings spotted the fire and used their vehicles to pull other vehicles and equipment away from the burning house.
The Hychs had two children living in the home, one of which is their granddaughter Kashyra Guyton who lost her mother Catina, the Hych's daughter, and two sisters in a March car accident on Hwy. 9.
Everyone was safe after Tuesday's fire and busy sorting through whatever they could salvage of their possessions last night. The family was going to move in with James Hych's ' sister Ernestine James until they find a permanent residence.