Summer Lightning Strikes, Could they Hit your Home?

6/9/2021 (Permalink)

In Georgia summer storms often cause lightning strikes.  When lightning strikes a house, it can travel in many directions.  The surge usually takes the path of least resistance, which means electricity can run throughout all of the wiring and plumbing in your home. 

Three main hazards to a house hit directly by Lightning:

• Fire Danger: The biggest danger lightning poses to a house is fire.  Flammable building materials such as wood can easily be ignited anywhere an exposed lightning channel comes in contact with or passes through them.  The most common place for lightning to start a fire is in the attic or roof of a house. 
• Power Surge: Anything electronic in your home is susceptible to damage from a lightning strike.  The surge of power through the wiring can destroy computers, televisions and other electronics.  It can also damage electrical appliances such as refrigerators.
• Shock Wave Damage: Another major source of damage from lightning is produced from the explosive shock wave.  The shock waves that lightning create is what produces the thunder that we hear.  At close range, these waves can be destructive.  Lightning can easily fracture concrete, stone, brick and that is why brick and stone chimneys can be damaged severely by lightning.

If your Tucker or Stone Mountain home is damaged by a lightning strike that causes fire or smoke, please call the professionals at SERVPRO® of Stone Mountain/Clarkston at 770-496-1976.  We are here to help 14/7.