Illinois, 1996

Lightning Strike in Illinois, August 23, 1996

August 23, 1996 · NWS LSX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A thirteen year old boy suffered minor injuries from a lightning strike in a garage. Lightning struck the garage just as he touched a metal door with the resulting charge knocking him backwards across the garage.

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.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
1
Property damage
None recorded
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 LSX wrote it up.

A thirteen year old boy suffered minor injuries from a lightning strike in a garage. Lightning struck the garage just as he touched a metal door with the resulting charge knocking him backwards across the garage.

The radar

The St Louis radar (KLSX), 69 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:01 UTC.

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Event by event

1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Madison

When
August 23, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Madison County, Collinsville
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
38.830, -89.905 (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 Illinois in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, August 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: 5566313.