Dear Tom,
We have all heard the old saw, “Lightning never strikes twice.” Not true, I assume. What about the Sears Tower?
Mildred Denning
Dear Mildred,
“Much of what is known about lightning today has been discovered precisely because lightning does strike the same structure over and over again.” That’s the word from University of Florida lightning expert, Dr. Martin Uman.
He continues, “To measure a given property of lightning bolts (for example, the range of values for the peak current), it is necessary to position appropriate equipment close to many lightning strokes.”
Records of lightning strikes to the Sears Tower are not kept, but about 50 strikes per year is a reasonable estimate. No damage occurs because the building is designed to transfer the electrical charge harmlessly to the ground.
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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN-TV News at noon and 9 p.m.
Write to: ASK TOM WHY, 2501 Bradley Pl., Chicago, IL 60618 or asktomwhy@wgntv.com (Mail volume precludes personal response.)
WGN-TV meteorologists Steve Kahn, Richard Koeneman and Paul Dailey plus weather producer Bill Snyder contribute to this page.
