Lightning strikes the ground about 25 million times every year here in the U.S. It might seem like a lot, but at the same time, the chance that you are hit by lightning in your lifetime is about one in 13,000. The risk of damage to your property due to lightning strikes is, however, higher than that. This is because there are many more ways a lightning strike can cause property damage than just a direct hit, and sometimes, a lightning strike that is far from your home could still cause a power surge that will damage electronics or even start a fire where you live.
Most homes today are protected by a lightning rod that conducts the surge away from the building and safely grounds it, but there is also the risk that lightning hits a tree near your home and either starts a fire that could spread, or part of the tree splinters and falls on your home. During a lightning storm, you should unplug any electronics and electrical appliances to make sure they aren’t damaged by a surge.
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