ST. FRANCIS CO., Ark. — Wednesday’s storm brought destruction and heartbreak to a St. Francis County, Arkansas couple, when lightning struck their home in the Newcastle community north of Forrest City.
Rebecca and Keith Price are left with a few boxes of personal effects. They are reminders of seven years in their St. Francis County home, reduced now to a pile of burned wood and ashes.
Late Wednesday afternoon, lightning spawned from a powerful storm and struck the building’s sheet metal roof.
“A very powerful lightning strike that actually went through the roof and hit the floor of the house,” Keith said. “Our neighbor next door to us, up here said it was very loud and it lit up the whole backyard of his.”
He and Rebecca were at work when the fire started and rushed home to find they’d lost “pretty much everything,” including their pet Chihuahua named Tilly.
“The dog was underneath the bathroom sink, trying to hide from the storm, like she always does,” Rebecca said.
Donations of food, clothing, cash and gift cards have been pouring in. A day after the fire, a temporary home on wheels was set up on their lot.
The Prices aren’t sure if they’ll rebuild or just “start from scratch”, but they say they plan to go where God leads them. Their faith has been strengthened by a Bible pulled from the ashes, which Keith says is a sure sign there’s a blessing in everything.
“One of my bibles, it burned the pages till it got to the ‘words’, and it stopped at the ‘words,'” Keith said. “Even a fire can’t even destroy God’s word.”
The Prices are grateful for the outpouring of support they’ve received from their friends and from total strangers.
Rebecca Price has set up a Cash App for donations. You can donate at $Pricer2011.
You can also contact the Price’s home church in Wynne, the 3 Trees Cowboy Church, by emailing the pastor at brotracey69@gmail.com.
