Man struck by lightning; power out at 19,000 homes

Green Valley firefighters look over a burned palm tree in The Villages after a lightning strike Wednesday. Photo by Regina Ford/Green Valley News By Alex Dalenberg and Regina Ford Green Valley News Published: Thursday, July 22, 2010 8:459 AM MST

A FICO employee apparently struck by lightning during a monsoon Wednesday afternoon is expected to survive. The same storm struck at least one palm tree in The Villages and left 19,000 homes without power for about an hour after downing four power poles near Three Points.

Firefighters said the man, who is in his 70s, was brought into Green Valley Fire District Station 153 on Continental Road about 4 p.m. and was transported to a Tucson hospital.   According to a FICO spokeswoman, the man was on a radio with a supervisor who heard the crack of lightning. He went to the employee's location and found him face-down under a tree. She said it’s unclear whether he was struck by lightning and said the man was disoriented but talking. The man is a longtime FICO employee and lives in Continental.

FICO owns the pecan groves that run through Sahuarita and Green Valley.