We often hear that Lightning never strikes the same place twiceThis expression has entered common parlance, but from a scientific point of view, it is completely false.
Why does lightning strike the same place multiple times?
Lightning is always looking for the shortest and most conductor path to the groundIf a point offers these conditions — such as a metal tower, A telecommunications tower or a lightning rod — it becomes a natural target.
- 🗼 TheEmpire State Building In New York, it is struck approximately 20 to 25 times a year.
- 🗼 The Eiffel Tower receives lightning about ten times each year.
- 🌳 Even one isolated tree in a field can be struck several times during its life.
How does this happen?
During a thunderstorm, an intense electric field forms between the clouds and the ground. A tall structure acts as a attachment point for the discharge. If it has been hit once, this simply proves that it is an excellent conductor — and therefore likely to be so again.
Where does this misconception come from?
The expression comes from a ancient metaphor It meant that a misfortune would not happen twice. But in reality, modern detection networks such as LPS MANAGER, LPS France And StrikeRadar clearly show that Repeated impacts are frequent.
How to protect yourself effectively?
The purpose of these systems is to prevent damage from multiple strikes lightning protection systems. THE early streamer emission (ESE) lightning rods like the Paraton@ir® of LPS France allow:
- danticipate the triggering of lightning,
- of channel the current safely to ground
- and withstand multiple impacts without damage.
Thanks to LPS MANAGERit is even possible to monitor the impacts in real timeto receive automatic alerts and to plan a preventive maintenance after each storm.
In summary
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| Lightning never strikes the same place twice. | She can hit the same spot multiple times, and that's common! |
Conclusion
No, lightning doesn't choose its targets only once. It strikes where physics dictates, again and again. So it's best to bet on the science It's all down to luck!
To protect your infrastructure in the long term, discover our comprehensive solutions LPS France and their digital tools such as LPS MANAGER.