A lightning strike in Colorado killed a rancher and 34 of his cows in Jackson County on Saturday, adding to the death toll of devastating storms that have swept across the US over Memorial Day weekend.

The strike killed 51-year-old Mike Morgan on his property in Rand, about 120 miles northwest of Denver, at the end of “branding day,” when members of the community typically pitch in to help brand cattle, according news outlets.

He was feeding cattle hay when the bolt hit him and knocked around 100 cows off their feet. An initial 911 call was placed about 2am MT.

“The 32 cattle did not get back up,” coroner George Crocket told The Colorado Sun. “As best I can tell, it hit him on the trailer. The cattle were bunched up around the trailer and it hit them all.”

The National Weather Service had warned that a storm was moving across the Front Range Urban Corridor and urged people to go inside upon hearing thunder.