Lightning Can Strike the Same Place Twice, and Often Does

The Empire State Building gets struck by lightning about 20 to 25 times per year. This destroys the myth that lightning never strikes the same location twice. In reality, lightning follows the path of least electrical resistance through the air to the ground. Tall structures with good conductivity become natural targets, making repeat strikes not just possible but likely. The reason this surprises people comes partly from an old saying that has no scientific basis. Lightning simply doesn't care about superstition. If you're the tallest point in a flat landscape, or a prominent structure in a city, electricity will take that route repeatedly whenever conditions align. Rod Serling, the creator of The Twilight Zone, was struck twice in his lifetime. Golfer Roy Sullivan was hit seven times between 1969 and 1977, surviving each strike but suffering serious injuries. These aren't flukes. They're statistical inevitabilities for people or objects that spend time in exposed positions during storms. The danger varies depending on whether you're indoors or outdoors, how well grounded a structure is, and how frequently storms pass overhead. But the core fact remains: lightning absolutely can and does strike the same place multiple times. It's predictable, measurable, and happens constantly in cities around the world.