Did Washington Monument Get Struck by Lightning?

A bolt of lightning struck the tip of the Washington Monument on Sunday night, taking out the obelisk's elevator system and forcing a temporary closure.

How often is the Washington Monument struck by lightning?

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.” At least one other lightning bolt has grazed the monument this year, reports the Post.

When was the Washington Monument hit by lightning?

On June 14, a bolt also hit the tip of the monument and was photographed by Kevin Ambrose. In June 2020, a photographer in Arlington captured a lightning bolt hitting the monument.