Lightning Does Too Strike Twice

In an ironic twist, the National Weather Service office serving Des Moines, Iowa, has been struck by lightning a second time in two years.

From KCCI-TV (a former employer):

A NWS employee took an indirect lightning hit at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Jeff Johnson was working inside the building doing severe weather operations when the strike occurred. Right after the lightning hit, Johnson told coworkers that he felt odd and something was wrong and he felt a tingling feeling, NewsChannel 8 reported.

Johnson's family arrived and took him to the hospital as a precaution.

The strike also caused problems at the NWS. Several of the bureau's computers went down and crews are working to restore them.

The strike was part of a fast-moving storm that did not produce much lightning.

The Johnston fire chief talked about the irony of the situation.

"It's like the fire station that catches fire. It always brings up the antennas when you hear something like that," said Jim Krohse, Johnston's fire chief. "Unfortunately, every building in the world is susceptible to it."

This is the second time the NWS has been struck. The other strike happened last year.

And you thought you had it bad.