How a Lightning Strike Affects Your Albuquerque Home
Lightning is one of nature’s most powerful and terrifying forces. A single bolt contains up to one billion volts of electricity and can reach temperatures of 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s hotter than the surface of the sun!
When lightning hits near your home, all that massive energy surges through the wires, pipes, and other conductors, seeking the fastest path to the ground. This can have devastating effects on your house.
I know it’s scary to imagine lightning striking your home. But don’t panic! There are steps you can take to protect your Albuquerque property and family.
The Damage Lightning Causes
Picture this: an electrically charged bolt shoots out of the storm clouds and strikes your home’s roof. What happens next?
The powerful electrical current zips through conductive materials like electrical wiring and metal pipes, often leaving a path of destruction behind.
Here are some of the most common types of damage from a lightning strike:
Electrical System Havoc
When lightning hits the wires leading into your home, the massive electrical surge can blow out lightbulbs, damage appliances and electronics, and even ignite fires. Any device plugged into an outlet or electrical system is vulnerable.
Say goodbye to your brand new computer, that flatscreen TV you just bought, and even smaller items like phone chargers. A lightning strike can fry them all.
Ruptured Pipes and Gas Lines
The electrical current can travel through plumbing pipes or gas supply lines inside your walls. This can rupture pipes and create serious gas leaks or flooding in your home.
Leaks allow dangerous gases like natural gas to build up and create a deadly fire or explosion risk. Not to mention all your possessions could be water damaged from burst pipes!
Fires
Wood shingles, siding or framing can easily ignite when directly hit by lightning. The electrical charge can create sparks or tremendous heat that quickly sets building materials ablaze.
Attics and chimneys are particularly vulnerable to lightning fires since they contain flammable materials and act as channels for electricity to ground through. Chimney fires spread incredibly rapidly.
Cracked Building Materials
From roof shingles to concrete walls and brick chimneys, many common building materials can crack from the intense energy surge of a lightning strike.
Repairing this structural damage is not cheap! You may need sections of brick or siding replaced entirely after a lightning hit.
Risk of Electrocution
Ever hear of a side flash? This is when lightning jumps from the initial strike point to a nearby metal object or conductor.
If you are close to the secondary strike point, the electrical current could flow right through your body! This poses a serious electrocution risk that can cause cardiac arrest or neurological damage.
As you can see, lightning can wreak pure havoc on your precious home. But thankfully there are ways to protect your house!
Protect Your Albuquerque Home
The most comprehensive protection against lightning damage is a professionally installed lightning protection system. There are three key protective layers in a proper system:
Lightning Rods
Lightning rods are metal poles or spikes installed high up on your roof that act to attract any lightning strikes. The rods are connected by wires to grounding rods buried around the home’s foundation.
When lightning hits the rod, the powerful electrical current safely travels down the wiring into the ground, preventing it from entering and damaging your house.
Surge Protection
Installing high-quality surge protectors, also called lightning arrestors, helps defend your home’s electrical system and appliances from lightning energy surges.
The protectors divert excess electricity away from your home’s wiring and safely into the ground. Protectors should be professionally installed for best results.
Proper Grounding
Having a solid grounding system allows electricity to safely dissipate into the earth instead of through your home’s electrical network.
All metal pipes, electrical system components, wires, and other conductors in the house should have a solid, low-resistance path to the grounding rods around the foundation.
Consult a licensed electrician to design the ideal lightning protection plan for your particular home and location. They will consider the roof style, materials used, and other features to maximize safety.
Routine inspections of the lightning rods and grounding system also helps keep your protection working optimally, especially after thunderstorms.
If Lightning Strikes Your House
Even with the best lightning protection, your home can still sustain damage if lightning hits very close by.
If your house suffers a lightning strike, here are the steps to take:
- Check attics and chimneys for fires first and call 911 immediately if any flames break out.
- Inspect electrical systems for blown fuses, flickering lights, or fried electronics and shut off power if damage is widespread.
- Scan gas lines and water pipes for ruptures or leaks that require professional repair service immediately.
- Avoid all plumbing until pipes are inspected – current could still flow through them.
- Unplug all sensitive electronics and have professionals check for internal damage before reconnecting.
- Look over the entire interior and exterior structure for any cracks or holes from the lightning current’s path.
- Contact your insurance provider to file a claim for any lightning-related repairs or replacements needed. Keep all repair receipts.
Protect your valuable investment by having a professionally installed and inspected lightning protection system.