Lightning — San Bernardino, California

2009-06-03 · near Fontana, San Bernardino, California

Event narrative

A was 40 year old female was struck and killed by lightning around 1530 PST while she was standing under a tree along the 8600 block of Bennett Avenue in Fontana. Some concrete nearby may have also been damaged due to the strike.

Six men were leaning against a metal fence near Electric Avenue and 40th Street in San Bernardino when lightning struck nearby. All six appeared to have suffered electrical burns. Four of the six were administered medical treatment by firefighters as a precaution.

Wider weather episode

Unstable air ahead of an upper-level low centered just off the coast of Northern California triggered bands of elevated convection which stretched from San Diego to the San Bernardino County deserts. Over 1500 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes were recorded during the event, resulting in one death and multiple injuries. The lightning also started approximately 70 fires, most of which were small and did not result in any damage or injuries. The storms also produced gusty winds and hail, with one cell producing quarter-sized hail in the Del Mar area.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.0960, -117.4382)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 178587. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.