“Lightning never strikes the same place twice.”

The idea that lightning never strikes the same place twice is a pervasive myth, often used as a comforting proverb to suggest that misfortune won't befall someone or something again. This common expression has entered everyday language as a metaphor for unlikely repeat events, rather than originating from any scientific observation of atmospheric phenomena. The sheer vastness of the Earth and the seemingly random nature of lightning strikes might lead one to logically conclude that the chances of a repeat strike in the exact same spot are incredibly low.

However, the scientific reality is quite different. Lightning frequently strikes the same place multiple times, especially when it comes to tall, isolated, and conductive structures. The Empire State Building in New York City serves as a perfect, well-documented example, being struck by lightning approximately 20 to 100 times each year, sometimes even multiple times in a single storm. This occurs because lightning, as an electrical discharge, seeks the path of least resistance between charged storm clouds and the ground. Tall objects provide a more direct and often more conductive route, making them preferential targets for repeated strikes.

People often continue to believe this myth due to a combination of factors. Our brains are wired to find patterns, and when an event as dramatic and seemingly random as a lightning strike occurs, it's easy to assume it's a one-off. Additionally, a phenomenon known as survivorship bias plays a role; we might notice the rare instance of a repeat strike on a prominent landmark, but we don't track all the countless places lightning *doesn't* strike repeatedly. This reinforces the misconception that repeated strikes are unusual, when in fact, for certain locations, they are a predictable outcome of physics.