Overview
- The lightning strike hit Verrado Heritage Elementary in Buckeye on Thursday, Sept. 24 at about 7:40 a.m., minutes after staff opened gates early to shelter students from an approaching storm; no students or staff were injured.
- Surveillance video timestamped at about 7:40 a.m. shows a flash of light followed seconds later by debris falling from the gym roof, and staff reported sparking door handles and a very loud impact sound.
- On-site crews found roof material and bricks scattered up to about 25 to 30 feet from the strike zone, and a roofing professional who inspected the site described the damage as minimal and non-structural.
- School leaders have kept the gym closed while they complete formal inspections, cleanup and safety checks, and district officials say repair estimates remain under review and could approach $100,000.
- The same late-summer storm produced widespread regional effects, including thousands of Arizona Public Service outages in West Valley communities and a flood-related closure of State Route 238.