A rapid detection of the position of the lateral stiffness change of towering structures in the time domain is proposed. Firstly, measurement points are arranged at equal height intervals on the same vertical line of the towering structure, and the synchronous dynamic response of each point in the horizontal direction is obtained. Then, the second-order statistical moment of the response signal is calculated, and the second-order statistical moment of the response of the adjacent measuring points is compared to draw the relationship curve of the ratio value with the height of the measurement point. Finally, according to the sudden change position of the curve, the position of the structural stiffness sudden change segment is detected. Based on the statistical moment theory of single-degree-of-freedom structures, the relationship between the statistical moment multi-degree-of-freedom structural systems and the lateral stiffness of structural segments is deduced. Combined with the matrix perturbation method, the feasibility of using the second-order statistical moment ratio curve of the structural response to detect the position of the structural segment sudden change of lateral stiffness is firstly proposed, and the applicability of the proposed method to analyze different towering structures under the influence of 30 and 40 dB noise and different excitation forms is demonstrated by using numerical model simulation. Finally, the measured response data of wind turbine towers in the field are analyzed and studied. The research shows that when the second-order moment of displacement is taken as the detection index, the position with abrupt stiffness change in the towering structure can be preliminary identified by the corresponding statistical moment ratio curve of the adjacent measuring points. There is no need to compare data indicators before and after sudden changes in lateral stiffness of towering structures, which helps to be applied in actual inspection projects of towering structures.