• An eye witness at the Groton Elementary School seen a bolt of lightning hit the water tower Friday around 6:10 p.m. Minutes later, the sensaphone started calling city personnel stating the electricity was off in the pump room. The lightning strike took out the main controls for the water tower and for the WEB refill control in the pump room. The city had spare parts and a technician from Watertown came to Groton and the controls back in operation by 9:30 p.m. The red lights on the top of the water tower were also burned out. It

is not known at this time if the antenna that collects the water meter readings was damaged. It is located on the top of the water tower. The photo on above shows the antenna that is located under the arrow.
• Tami Herron also reported that the bolt of lightning damaged her phone service in her house. They live near the water tower. It also made the door chimes go off at the Kosel home several blocks away.