Alabama camp for people with disabilities shuts down temporarily after lightning strike

Alabama’s Special Camp for Children and Adults (Camp ASCCA) announced that it will be closed to campers this week following a lightning strike that caused damage to the dining hall.

“Everyone at Camp ASCCA both campers and staff are safe,” the camp wrote in a Facebook post Sunday.

“However, lightning struck the dining hall, and the building has suffered fire and water damage. Unfortunately, we will not be able to have campers with us for this week.”

The post asked that guardians make plans to pick up their campers Sunday night or Monday morning at 9 a.m.

Established in 1976, Camp ASCCA has been a nationally recognized leader in therapeutic recreation and is “known throughout the world for its superior quality services,” according to its website.

The camp spans across 230 wooded acres on the shores of Lake Martin and provides year-round camping experiences for children and adults with disabilities.

Representatives for the camp said they are working to assess the dining hall damage this week and do “everything [they] can to get up and running ASAP.”