Is It Likely For Lightning To Strike Your Home?

5/12/2021 (Permalink)

Spring is in full force here in Nashville, and storms are commonplace now that it’s warm outside and summer is quickly approaching. Between wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, there are a lot of potential ways that storm damage can impact your home. However, while wind and rain are often thought about and contemplated when it comes to storm damage, there is less information widely available about how lightning strikes may affect your property.

How likely is it that lightning will strike my home?

In actuality, the likelihood of lightning striking your home during a thunderstorm or a lightning storm is quite rare. Only 0.5% of houses in the U.S. are hit by lightning each year. However, lightning strikes obviously pose quite a danger to your home as they may:

• Start a fire
• Cause a power surge
• Produce a shock wave that causes an explosion

Since most homes are made of wood materials, it can be very easy for a fire to start from a lightning strike’s electricity, and anything in water is susceptible to a shock wave. This is why it’s inadvisable to shower or take a bath during a thunderstorm.

What can I do to prepare for lightning strikes?

To prepare your home to beat the odds in the event that it experiences a lightning strike, we recommend staying indoors and away from wiring and pipes during thunderstorms that lightning may follow if it strikes them. These include using anything that is connected to a pipe as well as any wired devices. Think:

• Your shower
• Your sink
• Toilet
• Desktop computer
• Any other wired device

Wireless devices like your cell phone are safe to use. Lightning protection systems are available to be installed, but they are usually only recommended for those in high lightning strike locations.

For help dealing with any fire, storm, or water damage in the Middle Tennessee area, contact SERVPRO of Belle Meade/West Nashville at (615) 242-9391. This franchise is independently owned and operated.