Louisiana, 1998

Lightning Strike in Louisiana, April 18, 1998

April 18, 1998 · NWS LCH · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Around one hundred people were inside a tent at the Louisiana International Goat Festival when lightning struck the center pole of the tent. Twenty people were thrown to the ground by the shock.

Where it happened

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
20
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 LCH wrote it up.

Around one hundred people were inside a tent at the Louisiana International Goat Festival when lightning struck the center pole of the tent. Twenty people were thrown to the ground by the shock. Two people, a woman and a girl, were taken by ambulance to the local hospital, while the remaining were treated at the scene. Many people complained about blisters, swollen arms and legs, and numbness. One goat was killed.

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, St. Landry

When
April 18, 12:05 PM CST
Where
St. Landry County, Plaisance
Injuries
20 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
30.599, -92.006 (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

More

Every storm in Louisiana in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Louisiana, April 1998

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: 5643637.