Tips to Protect Your Home or Business from Lightning Strikes

3/30/2021 (Permalink)

Photo by Bhargava Marripati from Pexels

Watching the light show during a thunderstorm is awe-inspiring. But, those same lightning strikes are also a force to be reckoned with. Being inside a strong, solid structure during a storm is the safest place you can be. However, it does not offer you a 100% guarantee that you and your home or business are safe from lightning strikes. Insurance Information Institute shared a statistic that shows 19% of house fires are caused by lightning strikes. SERVPRO is dedicated to your health and safety. That's why we researched ways that could reduce the damage that can be caused to your home or business by lightning strikes.

Insurance information institute also shares an interesting quote by James Lynch, chief actuary and senior vice president of Research and Education at the Triple-I. “Homes are more susceptible to lightning damage because electronic systems have become more interconnected – think Smart Homes – which have an easy gateway to much of a home’s electronic network, damaging scores of devices and appliances at once.” 

For this reason, we suggest the first thing you do during a storm is disconnect all unnecessary electronics. This will protect your devices and make your home slightly less conductive. Some sites also suggest buying surge protectors. This can help protect your devices from damage due to a lightning strike but it’s important to note that it doesn’t reduce your risk of your house getting struck by lightning during a storm.

During a storm, lightning can strike anywhere on the outside of your house. Most homes are wired to run electricity throughout the structure. That means if your home or business is struck by lighting the current can run through any and all paths that are conductive as it searches for its way to the ground. Storm Highway suggests that installing lightning rods is a great option to protect your house or business because it creates a direct path from the lightning strike to the ground. They emphasize that it may not be the most cost-effective method but it does reduce the risk of fire and bodily harm. 

Unfortunately, there is no foolproof way to completely protect your house from lightning damage. But, there are ways to reduce the likelihood and effects of a lightning strike. If you do find yourself struck by disaster SERVPRO will be by your side every step of the way.