Doorbell video captured the moment Thomas Fahmy collapsed near his car during a thunderstorm before getting back up and seeking help.
Published Sep 3, 2026 9:57 AM EDT
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Updated Sep 3, 2026 10:01 AM EDT
Thomas Fahmy was walking down a sidewalk in Staten Island, New York, when lightning struck him on Aug. 27. A neighbor’s doorbell camera captured the lightning strike and shows Fahmy coming up to the door for help.
A Staten Island man survived being struck by lightning while walking to a dentist appointment, with doorbell video capturing the moment he suddenly collapsed on the sidewalk.
Thomas Fahmy was walking along Todt Hill Road near Windsor Road when a bright flash appeared and he dropped to the ground. He told ABC 7 the strike hit his foot but he never lost consciousness and was able to get back up and get help from a nearby home.
Fahmy said he felt an intense shock through his body.
“This very intense burning sensation. Tingling, numbness, pain, severe pain, in both my feet,” he told NBC New York.
Stephanie Homan heard Fahmy outside and rushed to help.
“I heard, ‘Help me, help me,’ so I ran to my door and saw him on the ground,” she told NBC.
Fahmy, who suffered no burns or other major injuries, was taken to Northwell Staten Island University Hospital and monitored before being released the following day.
“No burns. I had multiple body exams, no burns at all,” Fahmy told ABC. “I went on church Sunday to say thank you God.”
Round after round of heavy rain led to flash flooding throughout New Jersey, New York and surrounding areas on Aug. 27.
Thunderstorms were moving across Staten Island that afternoon, with Richmond County under a severe thunderstorm watch until 8 p.m. EDT.
AccuWeather Lightning Network data shows 10 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes within 2 miles of the intersection where Fahmy was struck, the closest happening between 12:41 p.m. and 1:07 p.m. An additional strike happened just after 4 p.m. around the time of Fahmy’s dangerous encounter.
The NWS also issued a flash flood warning that specifically included Todt Hill, saying radar showed thunderstorms producing heavy rain, with 1.5 to 2.5 inches already fallen and another 1 to 2 inches possible.
The CDC reports that the odds of a person being struck in a given year are less than 1 in a million, and nearly 90% of people struck by lightning survive.
Fahmy works at U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’ Staten Island office.
“We are happy, grateful and relieved that Thomas, a valued member of our Staten Island office, is alive and well after being struck by lightning last week,” Malliotakis wrote on Facebook. “We appreciate the good samaritan and medical staff at Staten Island University Hospital who helped him get emergency care.”
For Fahmy, the experience changed his perspective.
“Just to appreciate life, smile and breathe fresh air once in a while and don’t let life overwhelm you,” he told NBC New York.
No place outdoors is safe when thunderstorms are nearby. Anyone who can hear thunder is close enough to be struck by lightning and should move inside a building or hard-topped vehicle.