The city of Collegedale is currently dealing with around $50,000 in damages after an electric surge from a nearby lightning strike devastated equipment at City Hall.
City Manager Ted Rogers said the surge was responsible for rendering useless the building’s electric door-locking system, 40 electrical ballasts, four computers and a copier, among other items.
“It’s just nuts,” he said a few days after the storm. “We’re still finding things. It’s like a gremlin that creeps in and you keep finding it there and there.”
The preliminary estimate for the damages could increase, according to Rogers. At its most recent meeting the City Council authorized the emergency replacement of the locks, which totals around $20,000.
“Anything that can wait will wait, but we needed to secure the building,” Rogers said.
The city’s insurance is expected to fully or nearly fully reimburse the city for all of the damages and Rogers said he doesn’t anticipate the lightning strike negatively impacting the city’s budget.
“It’s sort of like when lightning strikes a home,” he said. “It’s just frustrating and there’s nothing you can do to prevent it.”