Lightning Safety for Allendale, MI Residents

6/1/2022 (Permalink)

National Lightning Safety Awareness Week: June 19-25, 2022

June 19-25th is National Lightning Safety Awareness Week.  Back in 2001 it was started to call attention to lightning being an underrated killer.  Since starting the week of awareness, U.S. lightning fatalities have dropped from roughly 55 per year to less that 30.  It is believed that the reduction is largely due to greater awareness and people taking thunderstorms more seriously.  During the week, challenge yourself to learn more about lightning and how to stay safe.

Lightning rods, and the accompanying protection system, are a way to keep your home safe from lightning.  They are designed to protect a house or building from a direct lightning strike and, in particular, a lightning-initiated fire.  Lightning protection systems do not prevent lightning from striking a structure, they intercept a lightning strike, providing a conductive path for the harmful electrical discharge that follows and disperses the energy safely into the ground.  The components must be properly connected, or bonded, to minimize the chances for any sparks or side flashes to occur.  Lightning rods protect a structure from direct lightning strike, but a complete protection system is needed to help prevent electrical surges and possible fires caused by lightning entering a structure via wires and pipes.  Gas piping may also need lightning protection.

Lightning can enter a structure from three main ways: a direct strike, through wires or pipes that extend outside the structure, or through the ground.  Once in a structure, lightning can travel the electrical, phone, plumbing, and radio/television reception systems.  Lightning can also travel through metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.

If your Allendale home has suffered a lightning-initiated fire, call SERVPRO of Holland / West Ottawa County today, 616-396-8180.  We are Here to Help®