Alabama, 1996

Lightning Strike in Alabama, July 17, 1996

July 17, 1996 · NWS BMX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A man was injured while seeking shelter under a tree. A lightning bolt struck the tree and traveled along the ground through the man.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
1
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS BMX wrote it up.

A man was injured while seeking shelter under a tree. A lightning bolt struck the tree and traveled along the ground through the man. During the same storm, lighting struck a sub-station and about 5,000 residents lost power for several hours.

The radar

The Maxwell AFB radar (KMXX), 53 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:31 UTC.

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Event by event

1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Montgomery

When
July 17, 2:30 PM CST
Where
Montgomery County, Montgomery
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$15,000
Coordinates
32.220, -86.208 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Alabama in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, July 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5561469.