Lightning struck Plattin Primary School, 2400 R-7 School Road, south of Festus this afternoon (March 21), damaging a computer server and phone and intercom systems, Jefferson R-7 Superintendent Clint Johnston said.
No one was hurt and no other damage to the building could be found, he said.
Johnston said the strike, which happened about 1:20 p.m., was loud and could be heard all around the area.
“It rattled the place. It rattled my office, and I’m about a mile away,” he said.
Deputies from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and firefighters from the Jefferson R-7 Fire Protection District were called to the scene to check out the building, Johnston said.
Jefferson R-7 firefighter Nick Frasca said he responded to the scene.
“We checked the roof and the interior (of the school),” he said.
Frasca said students and staff remained in the building while it was checked out, and it was determined to be safe to stay there.
He said there was a scorch mark on the building but firefighters couldn’t be sure whether it happened Tuesday.
Plattin Primary enrolls students in kindergarten through second grade, and Johnston said the lightning strike shook up some of them.
He said one boy was crying and wanted his mother.
“I gave him a big hug and he was all right,” Johnston said.
Miles Bess, a second-grader at Plattin Primary, said he and many of his classmates “jumped up” when the lightning struck.
Some of them even screamed, he added.
“It was like 10 jackhammers; everyone in the school could hear it,” Miles said. “The building was shaking and dust from the roof was falling. There were kindergartners outside and they actually saw the lightning. They came in in tears.”
Miles said he and his classmates were scared and they talked about the lightning strike for the rest of the school day.
“I’ve never been that close to a lightning bolt before.”
Johnston said late this afternoon that the district had a spare computer server and already had replaced the damaged one, but the phones and intercom systems still weren’t working.
He said a letter was sent home to parents letting them know about the incident.
Anyone who needs to call someone at the school may call Telegraph Intermediate School at 937-6530 and leave a message.