Lightning — Jackson, Arkansas

2007-12-20 · near Diaz, Jackson, Arkansas

Event narrative

Lightning struck a house in the eastern part of Diaz. Apparently, the resulting fire smoldered for about two hours before the fire was noticed. Visibility was poor at the time, due to fog and continuous rain. By the time the fire alarm was turned in, flames were shooting well above the roof. The house was destroyed, and an elderly couple who lived there lost their lives. The fatalities were a male, 73, and a female, 70. A camping trailer and an all-terrain vehicle, which were parked near the house, were also damaged.

Wider weather episode

An upper level low pressure center moving across Arkansas brought numerous thunderstorms and locally heavy rain on the morning of the 20th.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (35.6396, -91.2427)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 63641. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.