Lightning, Genesee
- When
- May 20, 2:53 PM EST
- Where
- Genesee County, Richfield Twp
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 43.022, -83.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lightning Strike in Michigan, May 20, 1996
Lightning struck a 9 year-old girl shortly after she exited a school bus in Richfield township, in Genesee county. She was taken to the hospital in a coma, but woke up later in the day, and seemed to be making a full recovery.
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
- Other
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 DTX wrote it up.
Lightning struck a 9 year-old girl shortly after she exited a school bus in Richfield township, in Genesee county. She was taken to the hospital in a coma, but woke up later in the day, and seemed to be making a full recovery.
The radar
The Detroit radar (KDTX), 41 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:51 UTC.
Event by event
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
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
- Flash Flood in Michigan, May 20 to 21, 1996
- Lightning Strike in Vermont, May 20, 1996
- Damaging Wind in New York, May 20, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Vermont, May 20, 1996
- Damaging Wind in New York, May 20, 1996
- Damaging Wind in New York, May 20, 1996
- Heat in New Jersey, May 20, 1996
- Lightning Strike in New York, May 20, 1996
- Damaging Wind in New York, May 20, 1996
- Damaging Wind in New York, May 20, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Vermont, May 20, 1996
- Hail in Nebraska, May 20, 1996
More
Every storm in Michigan in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, May 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: 5555423.