Inside the hidden society of lightning strike survivors
After getting hit, they suffered devastating symptoms that wouldn’t go away. It seemed no one could help until they found each other
By James Walker / The Guardian
The Jack Britt high school girls’ soccer team was playing on a muggy evening in Fayetteville, North Carolina, when the sky grew dark. It was Sept. 30, 2015. Shana Williams Turner, a 46-year-old teacher in the school’s special education department, was supervising. She watched as the weather started to turn.
Thunder rumbled above, each clap bringing lightning closer. Shana saw a lightning bolt hit a grocery store across the street. Scared, she and the choir teacher, Richard Butler, ran to a nearby ticket booth to find shelter.
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The Jack Britt High School girls soccer team was playing on a muggy evening in Fayetteville, North Carolina, when the sky grew dark. It was on Sept. 30, 2015. Shana Williams Turner, a 46-year-old teacher in the school s special education department, was supervising at the gate that leads to the field. She watched as the weather started to turn.
Thunder rumbled above, each clap bringing lightning closer. When a bolt struck close by, the players and coaches were escorted inside by supervising staff. Shana kept guard outside, the heavy rain soaking her shoulder-length auburn hair, red trousers, and white shirt. After 30 minutes, the storm appeared to calm and the match resumed. Then, Shana saw another lightning bolt hit a grocery store across the street. Scared, she and the choir teacher, Richard Butler, ran to a nearby ticket booth to find shelter. With barely e