The lightning strike at the City of Covington’s Public Works’ parking lot on June 16 left one vehicle on its side lodged on top of the hood of a truck.
Both damaged vehicles have been removed, and the streets cleared of debris from the blast that resulted from the lightning strike that caused an underground gasoline storage tank to explode.
No injuries occurred from the lightning strike or from the blast, and Covington City Manager Krystal Onaitis arrived on the scene shortly after the event occurred.
By 1:00 a.m., Onaitis was on the site with Covington Fire Department Chief Andrew Baker and Lt. Juan Roldan of the Covington Police Department who was acting as chief of police for Chief Chris Smith who returned from out of town to visit the scene later in the day.
Onaitis ascertained that no injuries had occurred, and she remained on the scene until the area was secured.
After devising a plan for the following day to deal with the situation in a safe and orderly way, Onaitis later on in the morning spoke to Covington Mayor Tom Sibold about a press release that was issued later that day.
The press release was received by the “Virginian Review” after its publication deadline, and limited information was reported about the lightning strike in the Monday, June 20, 2022, issue that included a photo and an article on the front page.
Onaitis was able to spearhead the response effort that assured public safety, and more details will be reported after the insurance company accesses the damage to the property and vehicles.
As of June 24, the adjacent street to the Public Works’ parking lot has been cleared of debris and reopened to motorists.
Onaitis said, “Chief Smith and I will keep the public informed about the damages and our next step for the relocation of public works along with information that can be shared as an active insurance claim is underway.”
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