BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A woman is recovering after she was struck by lightning in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on July 3.
Rebekah Prevost was hit by a lightning strike while running from her vehicle to her home that afternoon. She did not make it inside before she was hit and knocked out.
Prevost said she was bloody, dazed, and had temporary memory loss.
When asked about what it felt like to be hit by lightning, she said, “If you have ever heard the buzz of a transformer, imagine how that may feel, like that.”
Prevost was taken to the hospital where she learned that her injuries included a broken jaw on both sides, a burn on her left hand, bruised knees, a blown ear membrane, a scab on her scalp and burnt hair.
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Prevost was released from the hospital and is recovering after the lightning strike. (Photo courtesy of Rebekah Prevost) -
A cedar tree was hit by lightning in the Broadmoor neighborhood on Thursday, July 3. (Photo courtesy of Rebekah Prevost) -
Prevost was hit by lightning in the Broadmoor neighborhood on Thursday, July 3. (Photo courtesy of Rebekah Prevost) -
Rebekah Prevost stands next to a tree that was hit by lightning outside of her home on Thursday, July 3. (Photo courtesy of Rebekah Prevost)
She was released from the hospital after four days, and her condition has improved except for lots of pain and tiredness.
Prevost said there was rain, thunder, and lightning prior to her being hit.
The lightning hit her favorite cedar tree in the front yard. Prevost said the lightning hit the tree and then came across a few feet of ground, up her foot and went out the top of her head.
“It started storming and I took a picture of some clouds. It was a really pretty cloud formation and um, we pulled up at the house and the lightning was going back to back. I have never seen it like that here and right after we got out of the truck I told my husband I’m not going to grab the backpack I’m just going inside. Before I opened the door I asked God to protect us and I opened the door and that was the last thing I remember,” Rebekah Prevost explained.
He took his wife inside while hollering to call 911. Her husband did not require medical attention.
Prevost’s sister, Samantha Reed, said the video below shows the lightning strike that hit Rebekah.
Reed said her outlook has been extremely positive. She is “amazed at her strength and gratefulness.”
She said, Rebekah’s “faith has definitely grown stronger and is such a light to others.”
Kaden Prevost, Rebekah’s son, was also a witness to the incident.
“I was just completely shocked. I was thinking she was dead and I was yelling ‘Mom are you ok?Mom are you ok?’ and she just layed on the ground and she wasn’t speaking. She was just laying on the ground unconscious and after fifteen seconds she started bolting to the door and ran in the door and ran in the house saying ‘Call 911,'” Kaden Prevost, Rebekah’s son said.
Prevost said she feels blessed to be alive. Her recovery will require six to eight weeks of taking in soft foods and liquid, a lot of rest, pain management and doctor appointments.
The Baton Rouge woman has a sister, two half brothers, one half sister, two daughters and four boys, the latter of whom live in their home.
Prevost’s sister set up a GoFundMe to help pay for her meals and medical bills.
She said they will also be trying to organize plate lunches in the near future.
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