If lightning strikes your home, then significant damage could be done. Fires, power surges and other structural damage could arise from this instantaneous event, and the results might be expensive. While you will be able to file a claim on your homeowners insurance for assistance when strikes occur, you still have an incentive to minimize these risks as best you can.
Lightning can strike any home, at any time (even when the weather is good). However, by being proactive and preparing for strikes, you can minimize the chances of significant losses occurring. Here are some tips to help you avoid lightning damage.
Get Surge Protection for the Full Property
Lightning is an electrical current, so when it strikes your home it could do significant damage to your internal electrical system (not to mention start a fire). Damage to your electrical system could spread to appliances and electronics that happened to be plugged in at the time.
By investing in surge protection, you can minimize the risk of lightning causing such extensive damage. On one hand, you should consider investing in a full-home surge protector that acts as a security blanket for the whole home’s electrical system. It can essentially stop a charge at the door, therefore making the home more secure overall.
This system protects against that magnitude of strike across a whole structure. It does not necessarily protect the specific area where the lightning strikes, but what comes off of it. When in place, it works to ground the super-charged current that is attempting to race through the home.
More sophisticated whole-home surge protectors can be obtained from your utility company or a recommended provider. You can also purchase a traditional lightning rod alongside the surge protector. While this is an old form of technology, it is tried and true. By placing a lightning rod on your property, you create a vessel to capture and direct lightning through and away from your home.
Prepare Ahead of a Storm
When a storm is building, remember that your risk of a lightning strike is increasing. At this time, you should take extra precautions to safeguard your home.
First, unplug as much electronic equipment as possible; that safeguards those items. Additionally, ensure that items that remain plugged in are plugged into interior surge protectors. Even though you might have a whole-home surge protector, installing individual protectors on each appliance and outlet will help you further lessen your chances of damage done by lightning.
Though surge protectors, lightning rods and other precautions cannot eliminate the risk of a lightning strike occurring, they can minimize the risk of damage being done by the strike. Still, your homeowners insurance will offer the assistance necessary during these situations to aid you in picking up the pieces.