Hi CIL

Where lightning will hit, if it hits, can almost be calculated with a
fair degree of accuracy.

We did a small project in a college class and made a scale model of a
small city. We knew from past history some of the structures that
were hit and where. From this knowledge we made balls of certain
sizes so they would touch if sitting on the ground the place that was
actually hit. We ended up with only 4 such balls, each a similar size
factor to the others.

On our scale model town we outlined in red lines the most likely
places lightning would hit if it did hit in that area.

Every strike since that time, up until the project was abandoned, has
hit somewhere on the red lines we have drawn.
One such line was on a small single story U-Stor-It building between
two very tall radio station towers, that was assumed to be lightning
proof due to it's location. It was hit and hit hard when neither
tower was hit. We also indicated that if those towers were ever hit,
the location on those towers where the lightning would hit them.
Neither location was near the top either. Two small strikes to one of
the towers were both within 1 foot of where our red line was indicated
on the scale model.

We were so successful in our project we thought for sure some agency
would pick it up and make use of it. But long after I was at school
there, the project was abandoned with something like a record of 94%
accuracy on pinpointing areas where lightning can hit.

TTUL
Gary