Lightning is a charge of electricity that comes from a thundercloud that has many forms, however the one we are all most familiar with is cloud to ground lightning, which is also the most dangerous. This means a lightning bolt has made direct contact with the ground, but how does it do that? Lightning strikes the highest object in the area as a conduit to reach the ground, and in many cases this is a tree or home. To a home this can leave many damaging problems like fires, large holes in the wall/ ceiling, and electrical malfunctions that can require the homeowner to get new breakers and wiring. In this same breath I must mention that at no point should anyone be taking a shower or doing anything with running water so long as you hear thunder. Remember that your pipes are metal and water is a fantastic conductor of electricity. That last thing we want is for a fire or water loss to turn into a trauma case. We have handled several lightning damages, and oddly enough two of them to the same home. Some of you may say lightning never strikes the same place twice, but that’s a myth. The empire state building is struck by lightning over 100 times a year. Homes that have already been struck by lightning as likely to be struck again as there is obviously a path that lightning can take. We have heard that homes have shook, and even felt like an earthquake. In one case they did not lose power, but they did have a wide two foot hole in the ceiling of their daughter’s bedroom which burned much of the carpeting below. I wish I could give a guide to what you can expect, but truly I can’t think of any situation where I can make a cohesive list. Damages are always different and frankly I don’t understand why. I can only speculate that the composition and building materials of each home handles the electrical charges in different ways. There is also little you can do about controlling lightning, the best advice we can give is to maintain any trees in your yard, and if they are dead have them cut down. Keep lawn furniture secure, and listen to the weather reports. There is always precautions one can take to protect their home, and that’s what we are here to help with.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:01:57 +0000
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