North Carolina, 1996

Lightning Strike in North Carolina, August 7, 1996

August 7, 1996 · NWS RAH · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A man and his dog were killed by lightning while walking along NC 98 West. The strike occurred from a thunderstorm moving away from the area.

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
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 RAH wrote it up.

A man and his dog were killed by lightning while walking along NC 98 West. The strike occurred from a thunderstorm moving away from the area. No heavy rain was occurring at the time.

The radar

The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 50 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:16 UTC.

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Event by event

1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Franklin

When
August 7, 5:15 PM EST
Where
Franklin County, New Hope
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
36.083, -78.286 (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, Franklin1996-08-07MaleOutside/Open AreasDirect

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 North Carolina in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, 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: 5568611.