Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
Tropical trouble could stir near Southeast beaches around 4th of July. Get details Chevron right
Severe storms, flash flooding to bring July Fourth holiday travel hassles. Get details Chevron right

Columbus, OH

70°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

70°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Newsletters

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars

News / Weather News

7 children, 2 adults injured after lightning strikes down tree

By Adriana Navarro, AccuWeather staff writer

Published Aug 18, 2019 11:01 PM EDT | Updated Aug 19, 2019 10:58 PM EDT

Copied

Nine people were injured after lightning sent a tree came crashing onto a pavilion full of people at a swim club in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.

Authorities confirmed that seven children and two adults were injured after lightning struck down a tree at the Dolphin Swim Club in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, according to 6ABC. The tree fell onto a tent being used as a picnic area.

Lightning near Altoona, Pennsylvania

Severe weather rolled through swaths of Pennsylvania on Sunday afternoon, downing several trees and power lines across the state. (AccuWeather/Brian Lada)

AccuWeather

Around 5 p.m. EDT, the tree fell onto a tent pavilion, authorities told the news station, injuring nine people, including children. Several of the victims were taken to St. Mary's Hospital in nearby Langhorne.

Three people were severely injured, and the other six people suffered minor injuries. Two of the individuals with severe injuries are being treated for head injuries according to Lower Southampton Township zoning officer Bill Oettinger.

Here’s the tent that collapsed after a tree toppled on top of it with people underneath @CBSPhilly https://t.co/E1n2Vxhcbd pic.twitter.com/UnbeWJRJhJ

— Matt Petrillo (@MattPetrillo) August 18, 2019

Two of the children injured were 1-year-old Liam Diaz and 6-year-old Ashanti Diaz, according to CBS. Their father, Rubin Diaz, said that his family was trying to get out from the tent when the tree branches fell and made it difficult to move.

“You don’t want a family to come and go through what I’m going through right now,” Rubin told CBS. “To have to see your kids like this, it’s not fun.”

Diaz' wife, who was one of the three individuals to sustain a serious injury, was struck in the back by the tree. She is still in the hospital being treated, according to her husband.

RELATED:

Severe thunderstorms and flash flooding to target New York to Oklahoma through Sunday
How a single lightning strike can claim many lives
7 lightning safety tips if you’re caught outside during a thunderstorm

A storm report from the National Weather Service reported another two people were injured in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, after a tree fell on a car. Details on the incident are not yet available.

Report a Typo

Weather News

Recreation

Boulders narrowly miss swimmers at popular Utah waterfall

Jun. 27, 2025
Weather Forecasts

July 4 Forecast: Thunderstorms to focus over Upper Midwest and Florida

Jul. 1, 2025
Weather News

Girl, 8, rescued after 7 hours in flooded sewer in China

Jun. 27, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Severe Weather

Severe storms, flash flooding to bring July 4 holiday travel hassles

8 hours ago

Weather News

Storm chaser stages whirlwind proposal with real tornado

10 hours ago

Weather News

Tropical trouble could stir near Southeast beaches around 4th of July

8 hours ago

Astronomy

July offers rare meteor shower combo, stunning views of the Milky Way

5 days ago

Weather News

Flights cancelled as Atlanta airport recovers from severe weather

2 days ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Travel

Fourth of July gas hasn’t been this cheap since 2021

12 hours ago

Recreation

Two people rescued after going overboard on Disney cruise ship

13 hours ago

Weather News

Fossil reveals ‘Last of Us’-type fungus likely lived with dinosaurs

6 days ago

Health

'Inverse' vaccines may hold key to challenge autoimmune diseases

1 day ago

Weather News

World’s most liveable city for 2025 revealed

1 week ago

AccuWeather Weather News 7 children, 2 adults injured after lightning strikes down tree
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...