Emilie R. is a property owner from Pennsylvania.
On the afternoon of June 16, 2023, severe thunderstorms rolled through Montgomery County.
Emilie was in bed comforting her dog Finn, who was shaking from the thunder.
Her husband was working from the house in another room.
Then lightning hit their roof.
At first, they didn’t think much of it.
But then they smelled smoke.
Her husband looked outside and saw fire pouring from the roofline.
They grabbed Finn and ran.
By the time firefighters arrived, a raging inferno had taken over the roof.
The damage was so bad that the Fire Marshal ordered two corners of the house demolished for safety.
Emilie came away with a harsh lesson on the fire dangers of lightning.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, lightning causes over 22,000 fires in the U.S. each year.
Below are a few of the benefits and drawbacks of protecting your house from lightning.
Whole-house surge protection:
A whole-house surge protector installs at your electrical panel and shields every circuit.
When lightning sends a massive voltage spike through the lines, this protector diverts it to the ground before it reaches your appliances.
Many local power companies carry these units and will install them at your property.
Lightning rod systems:
A lightning rod system is the top-tier standard for direct strike protection.
Metal rods on the roof, conductors running down the sides, and ground rods buried in the earth work together to capture a bolt and route it safely into the ground.
Without this system, the strike travels through your roof, wiring, and structure.
That’s exactly what happened to Emilie’s house.
Proper grounding:
Your property’s electrical system must be grounded to code.
Make sure your landline, cable, and satellite lines are bonded to the same grounding point.
If your house isn’t grounded right, you could become the path of least resistance during a strike.
Drawbacks to lightning protection:
Expense of full systems:
A complete lightning rod system is generally pretty expensive, especially if you have a larger property.
Most property owners skip it because of the high upfront expense, but that has to be weighed against the risk of losing your entire roof and everything inside it.
Not a certainty:
No system can prevent lightning from striking.
A rod doesn’t repel bolts; it simply provides a safe path if one does hit.
Protection reduces risk but doesn’t eliminate it completely.
False sense of security:
A basic power strip is not a surge protector.
Look for a joule rating on the packaging.
If it doesn’t list a joule rating, it’s just a power strip and it will not protect a thing.
To protect your property, one of the top-rated options is the Eaton CHSPT2ULTRA whole-house surge protector.
Another solid choice is the Tripp Lite TLP1208TELTV, which also protects coax and landline connections.
For full lightning rod installation, contact a qualified Lightning Protection Institute installer in your area.
Keep in mind that while lightning protection can shield your property, you still need a plan to move your family out quickly if the worst happens.
To ensure you’re not taken by surprise, keep your bug out bag packed…
And always have another location prepped and ready in case you need to evacuate.
