#Lightning strikes washington monument how to#

Scientists then installed a spiked collar with copper rods that successfully diverted strikes for decades. The Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool pictured at sunset in 2016 Designed to act like a lightning rod, the structure proved ineffective when, less than a year after its installation, a bolt of lightning hit the tip of the monument and damaged some of its marble. Originally, scientists devised an aluminum pyramid that sat at the peak of the pointed marble capstone.

#Lightning strikes washington monument how to#

(It was eventually outdone by Paris’ Eiffel Tower, which was erected in 1889 and stands 984 feet tall.) American engineers had to figure out how to protect the structure from lightning strikes-and the process involved some trial and error, according to Atlas Obscura. Litterst tells the Post that this recent incident marks the “first time we’ve had any issue with the electronics getting scrambled.”įor a few years after its completion in December 1884, the Washington Monument stood taller than all other humanmade objects in the world. More than 11 million people viewed a viral clip of the moment on Twitter. And, on June 4, 2020, onlookers captured stunning footage of another strike. As Kevin Ambrose of the Post’s Capital Weather Gang reported last year, meteorologist Chris Vagasky estimates that bolts strike the monument “twice per year on the high end and once every five years on the low end.”Īt least one other lightning bolt has grazed the monument this year, reports the Post. Standing more than 555 feet tall, the looming white structure dedicated to George Washington regularly attracts lightning strikes during Washington, D.C. #WashingtonDC - National Mall NPS August 16, 2021 UPDATE: The Washington Monument will be closed today as we repair damage to the electronic access system caused by Sunday morning’s lightning strike. It only reopened on July 14, according to a statement. The monument had previously been closed for six months due the Covid-19 pandemic. On Tuesday, NPS spokesperson Mike Litterst told the Washington Post’s Dana Hedgpeth that crews were waiting for parts to be delivered before they could move forward with repairs.

But the unusually strong bolt damaged parts of the electronic access system that workers use to operate the landmark’s doors and elevators.Īuthorities closed the monument on Monday and have not yet announced when the historic obelisk will reopen to visitors. Nobody was hurt in the incident, the government agency tells Artnet News’ Caroline Goldstein.

A huge lightning bolt electrified the Washington Monument last Sunday around 12:30 a.m., the National Park Service (NPS) announced on Twitter.