MERIDIAN —     Newspaper carriers are much like the men and women who deliver mail in that despite all weather conditions, the newspaper must reach its intended destination on time.

    Saturday morning, July 21, was one of those mornings in which this trademark was tested to its fullest.

    "I had to drive through quarter-sized hail, heavy rain where I couldn't even see the front of my car, go around downed trees and endure lightning like I've never seen before," said Karen Todd, a carrier for The Star. "Several times I wanted to pull over somewhere and try to wait it out but something kept telling me I had to keep going."

    In Newton, Diane Nelson had been awakened by the weather. The wind, rain and extreme lightning was cause for concern. It seemed to Nelson the thunderstorm was right over her home as the bolts of electricity did their best to zero in on her modest, immaculately kept wood frame home.

    "The weather woke me up and I was just watching it," Nelson said.

    Neither woman knew their paths were about to cross.

    Much of Todd's route covers Hickory, Decatur and Newton and all points in between. Driving carefully as she did on that stormy morning Todd knew emergency crews, both volunteers and full-time, would be out to clear the roadways and assist residents if needed. She just wanted to get through her route as best as possible without running into any trouble the storm might have left in its wake.

    When Todd entered Newton around 6 a.m. and rounded the corner toward Nelson's home, she noticed something out of place. Todd said it looked like steam was rising off the roof of Nelson's home but with the rain and lightning she couldn't be sure.

    "She gets both The Star and The Clarion-Ledger so when I stopped I threw out the papers but the roof drew my attention," Todd said.

    A few minutes earlier, Todd said she saw a bolt of hot-blue lightning hit extremely close to her but she couldn't tell where the bolt had landed. Inside her home, Nelson didn't have any problem hearing the crack as the tens of thousands of volts hit — literally — close to home.

    "I heard the loud pop and then I walked to the window," Nelson said. "When I looked out, I saw Karen's car outside. Then I began to smell something burning."

    Todd said carriers are constantly coming up on traffic accidents, road obstructions and even some crimes in process as they follow their early morning routes. She said she has had instances of calling 911 when she would come across something that seemed out of place or if someone needed help. The longer she watched the roof, the more Todd knew something was wrong.

    "I knew Diane lived alone and if what I was looking at was really smoke from a fire then I didn't want to leave and not try to warn her," Todd said.

    The two women met at the door.

    By now, only two scant minutes after the lightning strike, the roof and attic area of the northeast corner of the home was showing signs that flames were building. Todd urged Nelson to get what she could and to come outside. At the same time, Todd was on the phone with 911 to try and get fire units heading in that direction.

    "I didn't know it at the time but the Newton Fire Department was already fighting a house fire right down the road," Todd said. "They told me later lightning had possibly struck that home as well."

    In just the two minutes it took for Nelson to dress enough to get outside, flames were licking out from under the gables of the home. Todd said fire was seen over their heads as they ran down the front steps. Minutes later firefighters arrived on the scene and began battling the flames.

     The fire spread through the attic area but thankfully never reached the living areas of the home. Fortunately, the home had a drop ceiling installed to help heating and cooling. Nelson said had the drop ceiling not been installed, the fire might have done much more damage.

    "The firefighters told me the drop ceiling saved my possessions and created a barrier the fire couldn't get through quickly," Nelson said.

    As Nelson stood watching the battle between firefighters and the yellow-orange flames, she thought of her possessions. One of the most prized of those was a piano she learned to play music on when she was in the fourth grade. She had kept it all these years and had recently completed a refurbishing project.

    "Pretty much everything was saved thanks to the firefighters," Nelson said. "I'm still doing some cleaning because of water and smoke but for the most part it will be OK."

    Nelson said her belongings and her life is in a status of disarray right now as she settles into another home. She is thankful friends and family have come to her rescue. She is also thankful for Todd who was concerned enough to check on her welfare.

    Todd is just glad Nelson is doing fine.

    "She told me I was her angel," Todd said quietly. "That made me feel good but not as good as hearing it from her — in person."