Lightning — Washington, Minnesota

2009-07-21 · near Stillwater, Washington, Minnesota

Event narrative

A 14 year old girl was struck by lightning as she played under a tree during a thunderstorm. She later died at a hospital from her injuries.

Wider weather episode

Several factors led to severe hail development across portions of Minnesota Tuesday afternoon, July 21st. These factors included a strong disturbance, a low freezing level, and a weak frontal boundary which caused numerous thunderstorms to develop and produce hail as large as golf ball size. In addition to the hail, frequent lightning strikes led to an individual being struck by lightning under a tree.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (45.0529, -92.8119)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 173490. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.