16 hospitalized after lightning strike at Ohio prison; all victims in stable condition
Initial reports indicate the lightning strike occurred at Grafton Correctional Institution as incarcerated individuals were returning from "evening meal."
FILE: Upward lightning shoots into sky from wind turbines
SEE IT: Footage captured in Rufus, Oregon, showcases the moment upward lightning shoots into the sky due to nearby wind turbines in the area. #Oregon #Lightning #Severewx #FOXWeather
GRAFTON, Ohio – More than a dozen people were hospitalized after a lightning strike at an Ohio correctional facility Tuesday evening.
According to JoEllen Smith, chief of communications for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC), initial reports indicate the lightning strike occurred at Grafton Correctional Institution Tuesday evening as incarcerated individuals were returning from "evening meal."
AT LEAST 2 KILLED AS DESTRUCTIVE DERECHO LASHES MILLIONS WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND RAIN IN THE MIDWEST
Sixteen people were transported to an outside hospital for treatment, officials said.
Four individuals remain hospitalized, officials said on Wednesday.
Twelve incarcerated individuals who were taken to an outside hospital for treatment Tuesday evening have since returned to the facility.
Sixteen individuals were transferred to an outside hospital after a lightning strike occurred at Grafton Correctional Institution in Lorain County, approximately 30 miles southwest of Cleveland.
(Google Maps)
In a news release, the ODRC said no deaths or staff injuries had been reported at the Lorain County prison.
The ODRC incident reports explain the sequence of events:
- The yard was closed due to lightning.
- Incarcerated individuals were permitted to leave the dining hall to return to the housing units when the weather cleared.
- During that movement, the weather quickly turned.
The reported lightning strike comes as rounds of severe storms and flash flooding slammed portions of the Midwest and Ohio Valley.
1 DEAD AND 22 INJURED AFTER SEVERE WEATHER PROMPTS OUTDOOR TENT FAILURE AT VIRGINIA CHURCH
The storms caused widespread power outages, leaving more than 250,000 customers without power in Ohio alone.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, a thunderstorm moved through Lorain County during the 5 p.m. hour, producing dozens of lightning strikes.
Live radar showed a large thunderstorm producing dozens of lightning strikes as it moved through the Lorain County area.
(FOX Weather)
"The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction would like to extend gratitude to all the staff from Grafton Correctional Institution, other responding facilities, and all first responders who provided critical assistance during the incident last evening," the department said in a press release.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.