TULSA - TULSA - A historic building in downtown Tulsa was hit by a lightning strike Friday, leaving pieces littering the street.
The Tulsa Fire Department blocked off the sidewalk and part of Detroit Avenue and 5th Street after debris fell from First Baptist Church.
City maintenance workers were cleaning the streets when they came across pieces of concrete on the sidewalk and in the street.
The workers called the Tulsa Fire Department who determined there were still loose blocks of concrete at the top of the building firefighters couldn't reach.
The sun makes it hard to see, but a historic building in Tulsa got rocked by lightning this AM. Lots of loose parts still attached. @KJRH2HD pic.twitter.com/aeUjZ9TkiJ
— Darcy Jackson (@DJacksonKJRH) October 14, 2016
"There's a lot of things they don't train you for in school for pastors, so this is...this is a new one," Pastor Deron Spoo said.
The bolt brought art deco details of the historical marker slamming to the ground.
"Some pieces up there are very loose so my biggest concern right now is just for safety," said Spoo."We certainly want to restore the old terra cotta on top of the building.”
For the church, who acquired the building in 2009, now comes the challenge of repairing the building according to those antique blueprints.
"They used to be real artisans with the terra cotta when they built the building in the 20s and 30s. They're going to try to replicate that, but it's going to take some kind of rigging," said First Baptist COO Bobby Hart.
The building is slated for renovations for First Baptist Church's special meetings and offices.
If you ask Spoo, it's all worth it to continue Tulsa's Art Deco legacy, even if it was damaged by an act of God.
"This is a part of living in Tulsa … this is part of Oklahoma," said Spoo. "We'll weather this storm just like every other."
They blocked off a lane of Detroit Avenue and the sidewalk until a professional can assess the damage and fix it.
Pastors say Sunday services will go on as planned.
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