The Season of Lightning
Lightning season gets underway in June, and it does far more harm than break the hearts of kids whose Little League games get canceled. Lightning can be a serious cause of damage to your home or vehicle.
According to environment Canada, southwestern Ontario sees some of the highest lightning flash densities in the country, and another hot spot is from the southern tip of Georgian Bay to southeast of Barrie.” Each year, 34% of the 7,000 wildfires that burn across this country are caused by lightning, according to the Canadian Forest Service. Lightning has become such a big problem that The Weather Network launched a database last summer validating where lightning has struck.
Lightning strikes can be expensive as well as deadly, given that the average home is filled with high-end TVs, home entertainment systems, multiple computers, gaming systems and other electronic equipment that can be damaged when lightning strikes.
Good news: most standard homeowners insurance covers damage caused by lightning (such as fire); some policies even cover power surges that are direct result of lightning strike hitting the home. If it’s your car that’s hit by lightning, usually the comprehensive portion of auto insurance includes coverage for lightning damage. You’ll need to talk to your insurance broker to find out exactly what your home and auto insurance covers.
But you don’t have to wait until lightning strikes; you can do several things right now to prevent, or reduce, damage from lightning:
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Get a licensed electrician to install a lightning rod and protection system on the roof of your home
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Set up effective grounding mechanisms - such as a metal stake in the ground adjacent to your home; attached to the stake is to a short coil of wire that extends to and up the house
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Install UL-listed surge protectors on your main electrical panel as well as incoming wires for cable, telephone, satellite and data lines
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Install UL-listed transient voltage surge suppressors to protect specific pieces of expensive home electronics equipment
Do you know anyone whose home or car was struck by lightning? What was the outcome? Leave your comments here.