How Lightning Can Affect Your House

Are you concerned about how protected you are from lightning strikes when you are inside your house?  Do you wonder what would happen if your home was struck by lightning?  Lightning can hit houses, and it can also cause major damage to the electric or pose a danger to the entire structure of the home.  As a public claims adjuster in Polk County, we deal with many insurance claims that have been filed as a result of a lightning damage.  As a strong electrical current itself, lightning can strike a building and cause extensive damage.  There are a few ways that lightning can affect your house.

Lightning Strikes Can Cause Fires

Lightning is burning at roughly 50,000 degrees hot.  These high temperatures increase the likelihood of you suffering from fire damage if your home is hit by a lightning bolt.  When the lightning strikes your home, you may not immediately notice the fire.  It can typically occur inside the attic or inside the walls of your home, where the electrical wires are running.  Even if you can't see or smell the fire, you should contact the local fire department to alert them that your home has been struck by lightning.

Lightning Strikes Can Cause Power Surges

Many homes are protected with some kind of surge protection or ground wiring that helps to prevent extensive damage from the power surges that are associated with lightning strikes.  However, this doesn't protect many of the electronics or appliances inside your home that aren't connected to that surge protection.  Using surge protectors and power strips provide a little more protection to your electronics, so their investment may be worthwhile if you live in an area that is prone to thunderstorms.

Lightning Strikes Can Create Shock Waves

Have you ever seen a chimney that was struck by lightning?  These chimneys are typically cracked or broken in places, which is a result of the shock waves that lightning sends through many construction materials.  Lightning can damage brick, concrete, and stone with its shock waves.  It can also damage your walls and windows or even crack your foundation, compromising the structural integrity of your entire structure.  You will want to have your property fully assessed after your home is struck by lightning.

These are a few of the ways that lightning can cause damage to your house.  When you are susceptible to lightning and have frequent thunderstorms, you will want to take the proper precautions by unplugging your unused electronics to prevent any additional damages.  If you happen to get struck by lightning and suffer from property damage, you will want to trust the advocacy of a public claims adjuster in Polk County.  Contact us to hear how we can help you with your insurance claim today.