George, This was a fairly unusual setup. The cross was actually mounted on the ends of the structural laminated wood beams that supported the auditorium roof. 4 of them were made so they turned almost vertical for about 10 feet outside for a visual feature. The cross was set in the center. We took one hit that was sufficent to blow a lot of wood out of the beams and require an engineering evaluation of the structure. Since we got no reports of other damage in the area, that suggests a pretty strong discharge though the steel. Only one thing is really sure about lightning: it is dangerously unpredictable.
When I lived in Pennsylvania, there was a radio tower (in Bensalem, I believe) that had some sort of meter to count the number of times lightning hit the tower.
Guys, Thanks to all for your replies. As usual I learn something new everyday in this business. This forum is really great. I enjoy reading the different posts.I'll type in more info on the damages at the house once I get in there and check everything.
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