Days before Easter, lightning strikes Mississippi church during severe weather outbreak
A nearby resident took video of the church’s steeple engulfed in flames
Severe storms move through Mississippi
A church caught fire in Amory, Mississippi after an apparent lightning strike (Video from: Sharon Hughes)
AMORY, Miss. – Parishioners of a Mississippi church are likely counting their blessings after lightning struck the Amory First Assembly of God, where services are usually held but were canceled because of the threat of severe storms.
According to a nearby resident, lightning struck the steeple around 7:20 p.m. when the storms moved through northeastern Mississippi.
Sharon Hughes started taking video of the church after seeing the steeple engulfed in flames.
"The steeple burned and dropped embers in the vestibule," Hughes said.
The First Assembly of God in Amory, Mississippi, was hit by an apparent lightning strike during Wednesday’s severe storms.
(Sharon Hughes)
Hughes said firefighters not only had to battle the flames but also contend with lightning and heavy rain.
It is unclear on how significant the damage is inside the church, but the steeple appears to be a complete loss.
The last post to the church’s Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon alerted parishioners to the cancellation of services and wished everyone safety during the storms.
HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER ON TV
So far, the church has not stated on when services will resume or if Easter celebrations will be impacted.
There were no reported injuries from the fire.