Lightning — Jefferson, Kansas

2009-04-25 · near Newman, Jefferson, Kansas

Event narrative

A group of seven motorcyclists riding together as members of the group Bikers Against Child Abuse were struck by lightning just before 5pm on the 25th. One biker was killed by the strike, and the rider next to him was injured and taken to the hospital, but released later that evening. The other 5 were not injured.

Wider weather episode

A stalled frontal boundary draped from northeast to southwest across the state served as the focus for convective development the afternoon of the 25th. Large hail, with stones to the size of half dollars the largest reported. An exceptionally moist environment also allowed for a copious amount of rain to fall. Several reports of flash flooding were also noted, but no significant damage to property occurred. One death was noted as a result of the weather during the event. A motorcyclist was struck by lightning as he rode along a local highway. Additional information regarding the fatality is included in the event narrative.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (39.0865, -95.4782)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 187178. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.