Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
1
Property damage
—
Area
Oscoda
Event narrative (NOAA)
A family was on a tubing outing on the Au Sable River. A thunderstorm rapidly developed, and they attempted to exit the river and find shelter. They were just out of the river, when three individuals were struck by lightning. Two women were pronounced dead at the scene. A man was transported to a hospital in Saginaw in critical condition. He would survive, but require a 10-day hospital stay, and considerable physical therapy after that. The survivor had no recollection of the incident.
Other notable lightning events in Michigan
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.