Protect Your Home from Lightning Strikes
Summer storms can bring dramatic lightning shows—but a nearby strike can do more than startle. Lightning can damage your home’s electrical system even if it doesn’t hit directly. Knowing what happens during a strike helps you protect your home from lightning and keep your electronics safe.
How Lightning Affects Your Home
Lightning seeks the fastest route to the ground. If your home or nearby structures are part of that path, a massive surge of electricity can travel through utility lines, phone lines, and cable lines. This surge moves
incredibly fast—millions of volts in microseconds—overwhelming your home’s wiring.
Even without visible damage, lightning can silently destroy outlets, switches, and appliances. Direct strikes often cause burned wiring, tripped breakers, or power loss in parts of the home. Indirect strikes are more common and harder to detect, sometimes weakening wiring and electronics for future damage.
Why Your Home Is Vulnerable
Lightning can travel through metal pipes, cable wiring, and even underground systems. That’s why using appliances, showers, or landline phones during storms is dangerous. Standard surge protectors offer limited defense. Whole-house surge protectors installed at your electrical panel provide stronger protection, supplemented with point-of-use surge strips for sensitive electronics.
Signs Lightning May Have Damaged Your Home
Watch for:
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Flickering lights
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Tripped breakers that won’t reset
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Burnt smells or smoke
If you notice these, contact a licensed electrician immediately. Hidden damage can become a fire hazard if left unaddressed.
Steps to Protect Your Home from Lightning
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Install a Whole-House Surge Protector – Shields your home’s wiring from surges.
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Use Quality Point-of-Use Surge Strips – Protects sensitive electronics like computers and TVs.
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Ensure Proper Grounding – Grounded wiring helps prevent damage from electrical surges.
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Consider a Lightning Protection System – Roof-mounted rods and grounding conductors add an extra layer of safety in high-risk areas.
Stay Safe and Prepared
Lightning is unpredictable, but your home’s response doesn’t have to be. Following these tips can protect your home from lightning, safeguard your electronics, and give you peace of mind during storms.