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SCIENCE

The Claim

Lightning can strike the same location more than once.

Verified by Lenz ·

The Short Version

This claim is unambiguously true. NOAA, NASA, and multiple peer-reviewed studies confirm that lightning routinely strikes the same location more than once — across separate flashes and even separate storms. The Empire State Building is struck 20–25 times per year, and research has identified hundreds of "recurrent lightning spots" across natural terrain. The old saying "lightning never strikes twice" is a well-debunked myth.

Caveats

  • Repeat strikes are far more common on tall, isolated, conductive structures (like skyscrapers and towers) than on random natural ground points.
  • Some sources conflate multiple return strokes within a single flash with separate strike events — but the claim holds true under either definition.
  • 'Same location' is limited by measurement precision; studies typically refer to the same structure or small area, not an infinitesimal point.

The Receipts

  1. Severe Weather 101: Lightning FAQ

    NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory

  2. Recurrent Lightning Spots: Where Lightning Strikes More Than Twice - UPCommons

    UPCommons

  3. Lightning Often Strikes Twice - NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

  4. Lightning Really Does Strike Twice, And This Is Where It Happens Most - ScienceAlert

    ScienceAlert

  5. Study reveals how lightning often strikes twice | ANU College of Science and Medicine

    ANU College of Science and Medicine

  6. NFPA 780: Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems

    National Fire Protection Association

  7. Lightning Strikes Twice - And Thrice

    Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  8. Exposing lightning safety myths: Lightning never strikes the same place twice

    unknown

  9. Video Captures Lightning Striking Empire State Building 3 Times | Live Science

    Live Science

  10. Iowa's Role in a Definitive Study on Lightning and Fires

    ECLE

+ 5 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

atmospheric electricityelectrical dischargelightning

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