Thunderstorm Safety - Tips to Protect against a Lighting Strike

5/13/2019 (Permalink)

Lightning Strike can cause extensive damage to your home or business. Prepare now.

Lightning strikes the planet around 50 times per second, and just one strike can release 1 billion joules of energy. With this amount of energy hitting a house it can cause extreme damage not only to the structure but electronics as well. Lightning strikes are like any other form of natural disaster; they have no direct path - and you are left wondering why your home and why is next door untouched. Lightning strikes and power surges randomly choose their victims.

Understanding ways to better protect your home from a lightning strike include simple steps like unplugging electronics to:

• Installing lightning rods: rods will not stop lightning from striking, but instead help direct lightning safely away from your home; if the rods are installed properly.
• Removing large trees: lightning also tends to travel across the ground, keep taller trees away from the home in case they are stuck and fall on your home.

Like preparing for any natural disaster, check your home or renters insurance to see what is covered after a lightning strike.

If your home or business suffers from a fire or smoke damage after a lightning strike, contact SERVPRO of Waycross, Hinesville & Douglas, our teams are experienced fire and water restoration specialist ready to assist you 24/7.