SERVPRO of Wilson County : How to Prevent Lightning from Damaging Your Home

2/11/2021 (Permalink)

How to prevent lightning from damaging your home

Wilson County (https://www.SERVPROwilsoncounty.com/)

Spring thunderstorms can involve rain, hail, high winds, and lightning, all of which can threaten your roof and home. If your home is struck by lightning, it can sustain significant damage—both visible and hidden from view. Learn more about the ways that lightning can damage your home and how to prevent lightning damage to ensure the continued protection of your property.

How Can Lightning Damage your Home?

Roughly 1 in 200 houses are struck by lightning every year. Direct strikes to homes can cause power surges that ruin electrical systems and electronics. Indirect strikes can also leave homes dismantled when lightning hits either a nearby tree or power Lines.

Since lightning takes the path of least resistance, a nearby strike on your property or in your neighborhood could cause surge issues in your home. Surge issues tend to be pretty similar whether a nearby lightning strike has affected your home or it was directly struck by lightning. Although these surges can affect electrical components in your home, they can also affect gas lines and possibly lead to home fires.

3 Ways to Prevent or Minimize Lightning Damage

Of all the solutions that have been proven effective at keeping your home safe from a fire following a lightning strike, here are our top 3 solutions:

1. Use a home lightning protection system - One of the best ways for homeowners, in particular, to protect their homes from lightning is to install a home lightning protection system. Research has stated that a properly installed system is approximately 99 percent effective in preventing lightning
2. Unplug electronics and appliances - In addition to causing structural fires, lightning can damage the electronics in your home. An easy step homeowners can take to avoid electrical damage is to unplug any electronic devices or appliances in anticipation of a storm.
3. Install transient voltage surge suppressors - One way to make sure your electronics are always protected from lightning is to install transient voltage surge protectors. According to Allstate, transient voltage surge protectors are connected to computers and other electronic equipment to limit voltage to 5 times the normal voltage.

Call the Best After Lightning Strikes

If your home or another structure you're in is hit by lightning, check for any fires or scorching, Especially immediately after a strike, do not touch metal window frames, pipes, or electric cords, and do not use your water. If you see a fire or smell smoke, call emergency services to be dispatched to your property. Once the dust settles, call SERVPRO Wilson County at (615) 449-5000 to assess the damages and give you an estimate for restoration.