Lightning Strike at an Ohio Prison Sends 16 People to the Hospital [WATCH]

Sixteen people were transported to an outside hospital Tuesday evening after a lightning strike at an Ohio correctional facility, with one person requiring an airlift, according to state officials.

The incident occurred at Grafton Correctional Institution in Lorain County as incarcerated individuals were returning from their “evening meal,” according to JoEllen Smith, chief of communications for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, or ODRC, said in a news release that no deaths had been reported following the strike.

Eight people struck by lightning inside Ohio prison Tuesday, all are hospitalized.

While moving between meal and another building Tuesday evening, lightning struck at Grafton Correctional Institution, injuring eight.

No update on extent of injuries. @wkyc @NBCNews pic.twitter.com/9BW209iUuq

— Hunter Bertram (@HunterBertramTV) August 12, 2026

Sixteen people were taken to an outside hospital for treatment. One of those transported was airlifted, officials said. Authorities continued assessing the situation Tuesday night and monitoring those affected.

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The lightning strike occurred as severe weather was moving through the region. The incident came amid a broader period of storms and flash-flood threats affecting portions of the Midwest and Ohio Valley.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, a thunderstorm moved through Lorain County during the 5 p.m. hour Tuesday and produced dozens of lightning strikes.

The timing of the storm placed the correctional facility in the path of active thunderstorms as people inside the prison were returning from their evening meal.

The ODRC did not immediately provide additional details about the condition of those transported to the hospital or explain the circumstances that led to the strike affecting multiple people.

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The incident occurred during a stretch of severe weather that has affected communities across Ohio and other parts of the Midwest and Ohio Valley.

Heavy storms and flash flooding have been reported in portions of the region, while strong thunderstorms have also contributed to widespread power outages.

More than 250,000 customers in Ohio alone were without electricity amid the storms.

The National Weather Service and other emergency officials routinely warn people to seek shelter inside substantial buildings when thunderstorms approach.

Lightning can strike even when the center of a storm is not directly overhead, making outdoor exposure particularly hazardous.

At Grafton Correctional Institution, the lightning strike occurred while incarcerated individuals were transitioning back from the evening meal.

Officials did not immediately say whether the storm had prompted any changes to normal movement procedures before the strike.

Grafton Correctional Institution is located in Grafton, Ohio, in Lorain County. The facility is operated by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.

State officials said they were continuing to assess the incident and monitor the situation after the 16 people were transported for medical treatment.

No deaths had been reported as of the initial ODRC announcement.

The lightning strike adds to the list of weather-related incidents reported during the latest round of storms moving across the Midwest and Ohio Valley.

With additional storms possible in affected areas, authorities continue to urge residents and others outdoors to take severe-weather warnings seriously and move to appropriate shelter when thunderstorms develop.

Officials have not announced additional information about the hospitalized individuals beyond confirming that 16 people were transported to an outside hospital and that one was airlifted.

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