Lightning, Lee
- When
- November 1, 7:15 AM CST to 7:20 AM CST
- Where
- Lee County, Tupelo
- Injuries
- 5 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Coordinates
- 34.290, -88.680 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lightning Strike in Mississippi, November 1, 1996
A flag pole at Tupelo High School was struck by lightning. Five people suffered minor injuries.
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
- 5
- Property damage
- $1,000
- 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 MEG wrote it up.
A flag pole at Tupelo High School was struck by lightning. Five people suffered minor injuries. Part of the flag pole's base was lifted and large chunks of concrete were knocked out. Some of the electrical equiptment at the school including computers were damaged.
The radar
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 54 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:13 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
- Drought in Texas, November 1 to 30, 1996
- Freezing Fog in North Dakota, November 1, 1996
- Heavy Snow in New York, November 1 to 2, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Michigan, November 1 to 2, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Michigan, November 1 to 2, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, November 1, 1996
- Waterspout in Puerto Rico, November 1, 1996
More
Every storm in Mississippi in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Mississippi, November 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: 5581724.