Recent coastal storms and neighbors house being hit by lightning, prompted this blog. They neighbors are fine, their appliances are not.
If your home is hit directly by lightning, your immediate concern should be for any fires that may have been ignited. Call the fire department! Again, the most common place for lightning-caused fires in a home is in the attic, but they can start anywhere the lightning has traveled. Some fires inside the walls and attic may not be immediately apparent and not easily accessible. You should also watch for falling debris from damaged chimneys, shingles or walls.
You should also strongly consider contacting an electrician to have your home's electrical system inspected for any damage that might present a future fire hazard.
You may also want to consider installing a whole home surge protector to help decrease the chances of your appliances getting fried. The strip protectors aren't all created equal. They should be paired with a whole home protector. I recently called Brunswick Electric Membership Corp (BEMC) to discuss a whole house surge protector. They recommend any that Shallotte Electric carries. After you purchase, call BEMC, they will come install it for $35. For more information, feel free to call BEMC at 800-842-5871.
Be safe everyone.
Other articles to read:
https://www.thisoldhouse.com/electrical/21194149/how-effective-are-surge-protectors https://electricianapprenticehq.com/best-whole-house-surge-protector/ https://apollohome.com/blog/is-whole-house-surge-protection-necessary/ (this article is out of Cincinnati, but has a lot of good information.
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