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Washington Monument damaged after lightning strike
National Parks Service spokesman Mike Litterst joins Good Day DC to talk all about the lightning strike that hit the Washington Monument this weekend, how NPS prepares for severe weather and the repairs that need to be made.
WASHINGTON - The Washington Monument is finally reopening.
The National Park Service announced on Friday that the iconic obelisk will be open for visitors this weekend, and tickets will be available at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
Visitors will be able to enter the monument on Sunday.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Lightning strike temporarily shuts down Washington Monument
The monument was initially shut down nearly two weeks ago after a lightning strike damaged the electrical access system.
The strike on the monument – which occurred early in the morning on Aug. 15 – was recorded by Travis Nix, who posted it to Twitter.
The split-second light show arrived in the wake of a turbulent night of storms that flooded parts of the District and surrounding areas, including Alexandria.
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Direct Lightning strikes on the Washington Monument are rare but they do happen.
The Washington monument has two lightning rods installed on the columns to protect the building.