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House hit by lightning

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For those suggesting a whole house surge: Those work when the source of surge power is the main line. When it's a branch circuit, I don't think the whole house surge protectors do any good. In this case, the strike hit the circuit(s) in the garage, which share ground and neutral with all of the other circuits in the house. Somewhere, the power jumped to the ethernet cables, which fried a lot of electronic gear.
 
Glad everyone is okay. That is why I was told to use surge protectors
Whole household powerline surge protectors are primarily protections for spikes coming IN on the power feed to your house, say from down the street on a pole, etc. A direct hit on a house (after the protector) creates tremendous electric fields that can induce huge spike current in the wires on the consumer side of the protector and take out any PN type solid state junction in most devices. If you use surge protectors then they are probably most effective close to the electronic item being protected.....
 
For those suggesting a whole house surge: Those work when the source of surge power is the main line. When it's a branch circuit, I don't think the whole house surge protectors do any good. In this case, the strike hit the circuit(s) in the garage, which share ground and neutral with all of the other circuits in the house. Somewhere, the power jumped to the ethernet cables, which fried a lot of electronic gear.
Correct. The wiring in your home (even after a whole house surge protector) is nothing but a massive antenna that is subjected to a massive electric field created by lightning if it strikes nearby. The current spikes induced in the wiring can still take out home electronics despite the mains protector..
 
damn, crazy but glad you're ok.

I lived in Florida and Texas and I've never been more concerned with lightning than I am here. We're in a cul de sac that has 5 houses on it. The one across from us was hit and burned mostly to the ground a few months before we purchased. A few years before that the next door to that was hit. This summer the one next to that was hit.

it seems to be making it's way around and we're 3rd on the list.

anybody know someone who installs lightning rods? Seriously.
 
Yeah that sucks! But you're right, no injuries and house didnt burn. In 2003 i was living at home and watching my little brother...lighting hit a tree near the house and then reached the house....i got him calmed down and noticed water dripping through light fixtures downstairs...when i went upstairs to investigate i saw flying ash outside a window near where the tree was...after going outside in the rain to check it out, i saw the house on fire at that area...by the time the firefighters got there it was too late...total loss...from that i learned to check sooner than later, and that stuff is just that, stuff. Thankful for safety, and eternally grateful for first responders...be patient and give thanks!
 
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