A lightning strike over the weekend damaged a six-story-high brick chimney at the Reno County Courthouse, sending bricks and pieces of a giant concrete cap flying.
Some of the pieces of concrete, which officials estimated weighed 250 pounds or more, fell onto a nearby steel fire escape, smashing through at least two sets of stairs and then through the roof of a small storage building below.
The strike knocked out power to the courthouse, including the E-911 dispatch center, though it immediately went onto emergency backup.
County Administrator Gary Meagher said he had no estimate on the damages, but the county’s insurance company has been contacted and is expected to send out an adjustor this week.
It will likely require using a lift to reach the top of the building to inspect the damage, Meagher said.
The strike occurred about 1 a.m. Saturday. Officials closed the alley behind the courthouse pending a determination whether it is safe to pass through.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)