How to Tell It’s Safe to Stay in a Home After a Lightning Strike
Whenever lightning strikes a home, it’s a shocking event — and a violent act of nature. A blinding light flashes. The noise is deafening, like an extremely loud cracking of a whip. And the whole building might shake.
In many cases, lightning strikes destroy houses completely. (That can be true even when a home has a lightning rod and surge protection.) The lightning bolt could ignite the roof, for instance, and the fire could quickly tear through the house.
Even when there’s no fire, direct lightning strikes can be truly disturbing, even traumatic. And, right after one occurs, people often wonder: Is it safe to stay in my home?
The answer to that question isn’t so simple. After all, lightning can damage a home’s electrical systems, causing fire hazards that linger.
Thus, if the storm has just passed or is waning significantly, taking shelter elsewhere may be the best course of action.
Obviously, though, it can be very dangerous to go outside in thunder and lightning. Therefore, if the storm is still raging, you should probably remain where you are. By taking certain precautions, you should be safe until the bad weather ends.
Staying Vs. Leaving
During a lightning storm, everyone in your household — including pets — should gather together in the center of a room. (You could have a battery-powered radio nearby to listen to weather updates.)
You should all stay away from windows, walls, and glass doors. Likewise, avoid contact with any wires or cords.
Also, wait out the storm in a room with a wooden floor, not a concrete floor. That’s because concrete can conduct electricity.
If a lightning bolt strikes your home during the storm, the first thing to do is make sure everyone is OK. Then call 911 immediately.
Holdover Fires
It’s vital for fire officials to inspect your home as soon as they can.
Lightning strikes can sometimes lead to holdover fires. That is, embers that are hidden away — inside walls or attics, perhaps — can smolder for hours or even days. And eventually, they can lead to a major fire.
While you wait for the firefighters to arrive, remain where you are. Keep away from all electrical outlets and plumbing devices. Don’t run any water, and don’t flush any toilets.
When You Should Evacuate the Premises
Alternatively, everyone should leave your home at once if:
- Your fire alarms or smoke detectors go off
- You see any flames or smoke
- You smell smoke
- You smell gas
If the lightning storm is still going on when you evacuate your house, try to enter a neighbor’s home.
If that’s not possible, you could go inside a hardtop vehicle. Keep the windows rolled up, and don’t touch anything that’s metallic.
After the Immediate Danger
Approximately 30 minutes after the final thunderclap, the immediate danger of the storm will have passed.
If the fire officials have deemed your home to be safe, your next step will be to call an electrician. Do not delay; a professional electrical inspection ought to be completed as soon as possible.
How a Professional Will Evaluate Your Residence
When electricians inspect homes after lightning strikes, these are some of the steps they take:
- Looking for wires that are exposed, melted, or otherwise compromised
- Examining electrical panels, outlets, and switches for hot spots, melting, unusual odors, and scorch marks
- Scrutinizing all phone lines and data lines
- Seeing if the appliances and electronic devices are working correctly
- Studying the grounding and bonding system for damage
- Testing the circuit breakers to make sure they still trip properly
- Checking for hotspots inside walls via thermal imaging techniques
A crucial part of this inspection is the Megohm test. To perform this test, electricians send high levels of voltage to a home’s conductors. That way, they can detect electrical leaks or shorts that aren’t otherwise apparent.
Furthermore, before your electrician fixes anything, take plenty of photos of your home — inside and out. You’ll want to document the damage for your home insurance company.
You should also call your insurance company to begin the claims process. And be aware that the company might want to send an assessor to your home before any repair work begins.
Mister Sparky Birmingham: Keeping Your Home As Safe As It Can Be
In Birmingham, lightning strikes are all too frequent. Each year, the city sees an average of 57 thunderstorms, and most of those storms involve lightning.
The region’s climate makes it ripe for lightning, in fact. The blazing heat in the summer, the cooler air that comes down from the north, and the moisture from the Gulf all combine to form lightning storms. And many of them are quite powerful and intense.
Fortunately, if you live in the Birmingham area, you can rely on Mister Sparky. After lightning strikes, our trusted electricians inspect homes with great efficiency and thoroughness. Plus, we’re true experts when it comes to repairing or replacing damaged electrical items.
Yes, after a Mister Sparky visit, homeowners can enjoy real peace of mind. On top of all that, we’re fully insured; our prices are competitive, and our estimates are accurate. So don’t put up with any malarky; call Mister Sparky. When it comes to your home’s electrical system, you’ll never have to wonder: Is it safe?
