Overview
- The penthouse, which McKenzie Caldwell‑Pope had just leased minutes earlier, was struck by lightning on Friday and began flooding within moments, according to a TikTok video she posted.
- Residents and movers evacuated by walking down 14 flights after the strike knocked out the elevators and the fire department and building maintenance responded to the scene.
- McKenzie’s video circulated widely online and an electrician quoted in the footage told the family there was a “1 in 400 million” chance of a unit being hit in that way, a detail cited by multiple outlets.
- Reports say everyone escaped without injury, but coverage to date relies on the family’s account and on‑site responders rather than a formal public statement from building management or an official investigation report.
- The incident comes as Kentavious Caldwell‑Pope relocates to Philadelphia after signing with the 76ers, and it raises open questions about repairs, insurance and any formal findings that local authorities or the building have not yet released.