Lightning Strike in Wisconsin, September 20, 2001

Name: Lightning Strike in Wisconsin, September 20, 2001
Start: 2001-09-20T22:00
End: 2001-09-20T22:00
Location: Wisconsin

September 20, 2001 · NWS MKX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

), resulting in debris damage to 6 homes within 200 feet. Mainly window and roof damage was noted.

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
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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $9,000
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 MKX wrote it up.

Lightning struck and exploded a 100-foot tall tree in the city of Racine (Racine Co.), resulting in debris damage to 6 homes within 200 feet. Mainly window and roof damage was noted. The $9,000 in damage is an estimate based on newspaper accounts.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Milwaukee, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 20, 2:15 PM CST, 7 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 20, 2:15 PM CST, 7 hours 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
315 PM CDT THU SEP 20 2001

SHORT TERM FORECAST FOCUS IS ON WEAK SHORTWAVE MOVING ACROSS THE
FORECAST AREA TONIGHT.

A FAIRLY GOOD BAROCLINIC ZONE IS SET UP JUST TO OUR SW.  THIS AN
FAIRLY GOOD JET STREAK...SHOULD BRING LIKELY POPS TO MUCH OF THE
FORECAST AREA.

THIS SHORTWAVE SHOULD MOVE OFF FAIRLY RAPIDLY...WITH FAIRLY GOOD MID
LEVEL DRYING.  AS SUCH SKIES SHOULD BECOME PARTLY SUNNY.  ENOUGH LOW
LEVEL MOISTURE REMAINS FRIDAY NIGHT...SO WILL GO WITH PARTLY
CLOUDY.  ALSO IF ENOUGH CLEARING TAKES PLACE...WILL ADD AREAS OF FOG
OVER SC WI.

MAIN FORECAST PROBLEM IS ON MAJOR TROF DEVELOPING OVER THE GREAT
LAKES REGION.  AVN IS SLOWER THAN ETA IN BRINGING PRECIP IN.  PREFER
THE SLOWER AVN...SO WILL STILL KEEP FRIDAY DRY.

NEW AVN BRINGS EVENTUAL CUTOFF FARTHER E THAN 00Z MRF...AND WILL
ADJUST TO THIS.  THIS MORE IN LINE WITH MRF/MEX POPS.

.MKX...NONE.

HENTZ

The radar

The Milwaukee radar (KMKX), 66 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:00 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Racine

When: September 20, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Racine County, Racine
Property damage: $9,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.730, -87.812 (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 Wisconsin in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, September 2001

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: 5268054.