Police in Louisiana have captured stunning footage showing the moment lightning struck a community outside New Orleans. 

The strike happened Wednesday in LaPlace at a grassy lot surrounded by a nursing home, a church, a Catholic school and other residential properties, the St. John Parish Sheriff's Office says. 

Video from a camera on top of a tower shows the strike lighting up the sky. 

It happened as severe weather swept through the region, killing three people across Louisiana. 

TEXAS, LOUISIANA HIT WITH TORNADOES THIS WEEK 

In nearby St. Charles Parish, a 56-year-old woman died "after a tornado destroyed her house in the Killona area," the Louisiana Department of Health said.

SEVERE WEATHER SHIFTS TOWARDS FLORIDA, SOUTHEAST 

"We also uplift prayers for our neighbors in St. Charles Parish," the St. John Parish Sheriff's Office added. 

An 8-year-old boy and his mother also were killed after a tornado ripped through Keithsville, in the northwest corner of the state. 

News outlets in Louisiana also reported up to 25 injuries in Union Parish after a tornado leveled a neighborhood in Farmerville Tuesday evening. No fatalities were reported. 

Fox News' Elizabeth Pritchett and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.