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The 3 Main Ways Lightning Damages Homes | SERVPRO® of Wilson County
9/9/2019 (Permalink)
A lightning bolt darting across the sky is a dramatic display of the power of a thunderstorm, but it’s also one of the most violent. Lightning can lead to fatalities and severe property damage when it strikes, so if a thunderstorm is nearby, it is essential to know the kinds of damage it can cause in order to be prepared.
Thunder and lightning are a result of the electrical charge that all thunderstorms develop. When we see a lightning bolt, what we’re actually seeing is an offloading of the storm’s electrical charge in the form of a strike.
Clouds provide lightning with ideal insulation, which is why so many strikes remain in the sky. However, when lightning strikes an object en route to the ground is when complications can arise.
When lightning strikes a home, the damage it causes can be due not only to the heat of the strike but also due to the way it travels through the wiring and water pipes. Here are the three main types of damage that can arise from lightning:
1. Fires. Because of the heat of lightning—typically around 500,000 degrees—it is hot enough to ignite many building materials on impact. As the lightning travels down the wires, it can also cause damage within the walls, increasing the likelihood that an electrical fire will break out in the future. A local electrician or fire department can often perform tests if your home has been struck to assess the damage and determine if any wires should be replaced.
2. Power surges. When the charge of lightning is coursing through the wires in the home, it can travel up cords and overload anything that is plugged into the wall. Using surge protectors for every electronic device can prevent this from happening.
3. Structural damage. Thunder occurs when lightning strikes within a cloud, as a result of the shock waves it creates. When the lightning strikes the ground, these shock waves contain enough force to cause serious harm. Shattered glass, cracked foundation and damaged chimneys are very common after a lightning strike happens nearby, so performing a home inspection after a storm is wise.
If your home has been affected by storm damages or lightning-related fires, give us a call today! We are experts in damage cleanup and can restore your damage quickly.