This unpredictable weather, including lightning strikes throughout the week, is leaving many in the valley on edge. Some homes in Las Vegas were damaged.
One family is speaking out exclusively to 13 Action News after their home in Summerlin nearly catches fire.
"We heard a loud boom,” said Rick Smith.
He says the lightning struck a tree in his front yard around 12:30 a.m. Saturday.
"I was in my deep sleep and usually nothing can wake me up from my deep sleep," said Rick’s daughter Christen.
Rick’s wife Tawni says the tree was like a “firing torch that put smoke into our house and then the fire was going over the roof and into the backyard."
As the Smith family waited for firefighters to arrive, Rick tried to put the flames out with his own water hose.
"We couldn't get it to stop with all the wind blowing and everything," said Rick.
First responders came in time to stop that from happening, but the night wasn't over. The lightning strike blew a few circuits inside the home and cut the air conditioner off completely, leaving the family with no AC. With it being 4th of July weekend, finding a handyman was a struggle.
"We were told that because it's a holiday weekend a lot of the service people wouldn't be able to come out,” said Tawni. "We were worried about ourselves. Got pets we were worried about."
This isn't the first time a tree has been struck by lightning in the last week in Las Vegas, but the Smiths are in shock that it happened to them. Despite the overnight chaos, they say they learned a lot.
"We’re a family and we can get through anything together,” said Christen.
