There was a lightning fatality on a golf course.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS HGX wrote it up.
There was a lightning fatality on a golf course.
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 Houston/Galveston, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 20, 11:18 AM CST, 2 hours 11 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX 1218 PM CDT Wed Sep 20 2017 .AVIATION... Scattered showers and thunderstorms are already beginning to pop up across the area and will likely persist throughout the afternoon today. Another round of low ceilings and/or fog is likely overnight tonight and into tomorrow morning, with the highest chances generally north of KIAH. KCXO will likely again be the hardest hit and may drop down to LIFR in the hours before and around sunrise. Other terminals, if impacted, should expect MVFR to occasionally IFR conditions during the early morning hours, quickly lifting to VFR around mid to late morning. Scattered showers and storms will also be possible once again tomorrow afternoon. 11 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 943 AM CDT Wed Sep 20 2017/ DISCUSSION... Expect most of the area to be partly cloudy today with temperatures warming into the 90s (slightly above normal temperatures for this time of the year). Already seeing some showers and thunderstorms near the coast, and the area should see showers and thunderstorms to continue to develop as the day progresses, with the greatest concentration probably setting up generally along and to the east of I-45. Current forecast has things covered, and only minor changes were made on the morning update. 42 PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 351 AM CDT Wed Sep 20 2017/ DISCUSSION... The upper level shortwave ridge that moved over SE Texas yesterday was now east of the area. A shortwave trough will be moving across the forecast area today. Not a lot of activity has resulted so far early this morning with this system. PWs over SE Texas ahead of the shortwave were lower than 24 hours ago and ranged from about 1.7 to 1.9 inches. Model PW forecasts do not differ much from the satellite derived PWs throughout the day today. The high resolution models do indicate a potential for isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms. The pattern aloft is still expected to develop into an upper trough across LA into SE Texas with an upstream high pressure ridge over N Texas into the Hill Country. This should translate into isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms mainly during the daytime hours on Thursday and Friday. The upper level high pressure ridge should then knock down the rain chances a bit; although, a blend of the models still shows daily isolated coverage. Do expect rain chances to increase beginning on Monday as the main upper trough over the Rockies begins to slowly move eastward into the Plains. As it does so, SE Texas should begin to see an increase in moisture and warm air advection. In turn, shortwave troughs moving ahead of the main trough will in help to destabilize the airmass enough for scattered showers and thunderstorms. MARINE... Persistent southeast winds across the Upper Texas Coast will continue to support seas around 3 feet for the rest of the week and into the weekend. Passing showers will be possible the next couple of days but more so on Thursday with higher moisture over the Gulf. Tide levels will be about a half foot to 1 foot above normal especially along Gulf facing beaches and western portions of Galveston Bay. Overpeck && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... College Station (CLL) 93 75 90 73 91 / 20 0 40 10 20 Houston (IAH) 92 77 90 75 91 / 40 10 40 20 20 Galveston (GLS) 89 80 86 79 87 / 20 20 30 20 20 && .HGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. GM...NONE. && Discussion...42 Aviation/Marine...11
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX 636 AM CDT Wed Sep 20 2017 TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-211300- Austin-Brazoria-Brazos-Burleson-Chambers-Colorado-Fort Bend- Galveston-Grimes-Harris-Houston-Jackson-Liberty-Madison-Matagorda- Montgomery-Polk-San Jacinto-Trinity-Walker-Waller-Washington- Wharton- 636 AM CDT Wed Sep 20 2017 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of Southeast Texas.. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Chances for mainly daytime and early evening thunderstorms will occur today. Isolated strong storms could produce strong gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated at this time.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
119 PM CDT WED SEP 20 2017
TXZ200-201900-
Liberty TX-
119 PM CDT WED SEP 20 2017
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL LIBERTY COUNTY UNTIL 200
PM CDT...
At 119 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Kenefick, or near Dayton, moving northeast at 15 mph.
Half inch hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Liberty, Dayton, Ames, Daisetta, Hardin, Kenefick, Dayton Lakes and
Moss Hill.
LAT...LON 2994 9490 3020 9507 3046 9482 3033 9467
3013 9460
TIME...MOT...LOC 1819Z 205DEG 15KT 3015 9489
11Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
214 PM CDT WED SEP 20 2017
TXZ213-214-238-202000-
Chambers TX-Galveston TX-Harris TX-
214 PM CDT WED SEP 20 2017
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN GALVESTON...
NORTHWESTERN CHAMBERS...SOUTHWESTERN LIBERTY AND EASTERN HARRIS
COUNTIES UNTIL 300 PM CDT...
At 213 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
San Jacinto State Park, or near Channelview, moving northeast at 15
mph.
Half inch hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Pasadena, Baytown, Deer Park, Galena Park, Webster, Cloverleaf, Clear
Lake, Channelview, Highlands, Barrett, eastern South Belt /
Ellington, Kingwood, Crosby, Nassau Bay, southwestern Mont Belvieu,
Taylor Lake Village, Shoreacres, Morgan's Point, Ellington Field and
Houston Ship Channel.
LAT...LON 2953 9509 2959 9519 2991 9524 3012 9511
3002 9504 2999 9503 3000 9502 2995 9499
2992 9500 2989 9498 2989 9495 2982 9490
TIME...MOT...LOC 1913Z 205DEG 15KT 2977 9507
11The Houston radar (KHGX), 14 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:26 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A lightning strike killed a golfer while practicing at putting green at the Timber Creek Golf Course.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning, Harris | 2017-09-20 | Male | Golfing | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, September 2017
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: 715242.