Mississippi, 1996

Lightning Strike in Mississippi, June 13, 1996

June 13, 1996 · NWS JAN · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A National Guard sargent was killed when lightning deflected off a tree and struck him while loading a truck.

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
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  • Wind
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  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
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  • Marine and coastal
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The toll

Deaths
1
Injuries
0
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 JAN wrote it up.

A National Guard sargent was killed when lightning deflected off a tree and struck him while loading a truck.

The radar

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 112 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, Forrest

When
June 13, 2:30 PM CST
Where
Forrest County, Hattiesburg
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
31.189, -89.258 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Lightning, Forrest1996-06-1329MaleHeavy Equipment/ConstructionDirect

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 Mississippi in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Mississippi, June 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: 5550599.