US
Washington Monument Gets Struck By Lightning, Closed Down For Repairs
The Washington Monument was struck by lightning and is closed Monday for repairs, according to the National Mall National Park Service (NPS).
The monument was struck by lightning during storms Sunday morning, which caused damage to the electronic access system, the National Mall NPS tweeted.
UPDATE: The Washington Monument will be closed today as we repair damage to the electronic access system caused by Sunday morning’s lightning strike. #WashingtonDC https://t.co/HD6U35C66n
— National Mall NPS (@NationalMallNPS) August 16, 2021
“The technicians are on site as I write this; we should know more when they’re finished,” Mike Litterst, chief of communications for the National Mall and Memorial Parks told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Following a 2011 earthquake that hit Washington, the monument suffered damages, which a billionaire philanthropist donated $7.5 million in 2016 to fix. The monument reopened on Sept. 19 2019 following a 37-month, $10.7 million renovation.
The Washington Monument shut down in March of 2020 due to the pandemic and reopened for a short time in October, but closed again in January, The Washington Post reported. It recently reopened again in July.
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