Lightning Strike in Louisiana, December 3, 1997

Name: Lightning Strike in Louisiana, December 3, 1997
Start: 1997-12-03T06:00
End: 1997-12-03T06:00
Location: Louisiana

December 3, 1997 · NWS LCH · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Lightning struck a home in Leesville. Although the owners were home at the time of the incident, no one was injured.

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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $50,000
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 LCH wrote it up.

Lightning struck a home in Leesville. A tree limb had fallen through the dining room ceiling, parts of the northeast corner of the home were blown away, a hole had been knocked in the southern end of the building, and the patio at the rear of the home was destroyed.Although the owners were home at the time of the incident, no one was injured.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

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Event by event

1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Vernon

When: December 3, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Vernon County, Leesville
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 31.108, -93.184 (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

Every storm in Louisiana in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in Louisiana, December 1997

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: 5625524.