While many in New York City fought through the rain to see the ball drop in Times Square, there was another great sight in the Big Apple. As footage from around social media on Tuesday night shows, a lightning bolt struck the famous Empire State Building on New Year’s Eve.
Among those who captured the footage on-camera was the YouTube channel Walks & Wall Street. The account livestreams walking tours of NYC areas at various points of the year and happened to be filming the Empire State Building as the lightning strike occurred. You can watch the stream highlight below.
Videos by PopCulture.com
While it is an interesting sight, it is not unprecedented — as some around social media are claiming. The Empire State Building gets hit by lightning fairly often. For example, Getty Images has documented lightning striking the structure during a thunderstorm on May 29, 2024, and April 22, 2023.
New York City New’s Years Ball Drop 2025
While the rain dampened spirits in Times Square, the ball drop still went down as usual. CNN and other TV networks documented the occasion. You can watch footage of the moment below.
Happy New Year from all of us here at PopCulture.com! We’ll be here covering the latest in entertainment and trending news in 2025 and beyond!
Most Viewed
-
(Credit: Netflix) -
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert during Monday’s May 18, 2026 show. Photo: Scott Kowalchyk ©2026 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. -
Attend the "Modern Family" ATAS event at Saban Media Center on May 3, 2017 in North Hollywood, California. -
(Credit: Imagesines/Getty Images) -
(Disney/Mike Taing) RICHARD T. JONES, BRIDGET REGAN -
GREY’S ANATOMY – Key Art. (Disney) -
“Reverse the Curse” – Back from tribal, tensions rise following the exit of a particularly historic player. The final five immunity challenge ends in a showdown and features one of the closest finishes the show has ever seen. Jeff reveals the outcomes of the remaining in-game fan votes and how they impact the final stage of the competition. Then, one castaway will be crowned Sole Survivor and awarded the $2 million prize, during the three-hour live season finale, on SURVIVOR 50, Wednesday, May 20 (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ Premium plan subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. Jeff Probst serves as host and executive producer. Pictured: Aubry Bracco Photo: Robert Voets/CBS ©2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
