What are the odds?

[entropychaser]

Hobby Airport runway back in service after lightning hits it, officials say

Crews worked for much of Monday afternoon to repair a portion of the runway that an official called the worst part to suffer the lightning strike.

abc13.com

A severe thunderstorm went through here a couple of hours ago. Lightening hit William P. Hobby Airport in southeast Houston at the exact intersection of Runway 13R (the busiest normally) and Runway 4-22. So the place is probably closed till morning. Southwest is the biggest operation. Hobby had 14 million passengers last year.

All the airports here were closed for over two hours, and all the afternoon international flights ended up in Austin or San Antonio.

 

[CFDMarshal]

Hobby Airport runway back in service after lightning hits it, officials say

Crews worked for much of Monday afternoon to repair a portion of the runway that an official called the worst part to suffer the lightning strike.

abc13.com

A severe thunderstorm went through here a couple of hours ago. Lightening hit William P. Hobby Airport in southeast Houston at the exact intersection of Runway 13R (the busiest normally) and Runway 4-22. So the place is probably closed till morning. Southwest is the biggest operation. Hobby had 14 million passengers last year.

All the airports here were closed for over two hours, and all the afternoon international flights ended up in Austin or San Antonio.

Did it blow the electricals and buckle the pavement?

 

[entropychaser]

Nothing said about the electrical system. Looked like the buckle was about 3' by 4'. I assume the electrical systems would have both surge and arrester protection and that the runway rebar was grounded. I thought they would have had lightning rods across the field. It's a wide, flat space and the Gulf Coast can always supply plenty of lightning.

Looks like flights resumed by midnight. Wonder if Southwest had any upset passengers?