Event narrative (NOAA)
Lightning was believed to be responsible for a fire in a mobile home in the Shiloh community between Hamilton and Hackleburg of SR 187. Three children were killed and two adults and two other children were injured in the fire. The State Fire Marshall said that preliminary investigation indicated the fire started in the general area of the living room around the television. A burn at the base of the utility box outside the home indicated that lightning could have been involved in starting the fire. Time of the event was estimated.
Other notable lightning events in Alabama
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.