16 people hospitalized after lightning strikes Ohio prison

More than a dozen people were hospitalized, including one who was airlifted, 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.”

Sixteen people were transported to an outside hospital for treatment, officials said.

In a news release, the ODRC said no deaths had been reported at the Lorain County prison.

The reported lightning strike comes as rounds of severe storms and flash flooding have slammed portions of the Midwest and Ohio Valley.

The storms have also caused widespread power outages, leaving more than 250,000 customers without power in Ohio alone.

16 people were hospitalized, one airlifted, after a lightning strike at an Ohio correctional facility Tuesday evening.

The strike hit Grafton Correctional Institution as incarcerated individuals returned from their evening meal.

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

Authorities said they are continuing to assess and monitor the situation.