- Spring showers are bringing beautiful flowers, but dangerous thunderstorms are not so welcome. Find out how a lightning protection system can protect your structure so you can safely enjoy the sights and sounds of spring.
April 23, 2013 — Recent lightning-triggered fires across the country highlight the destructive impact this hazardous force of nature can have on unprotected homes and structures. In recent days, lightning has ignited numerous home, business and church fires in states across the country. Illinois has been a region notably impacted by widespread accounts of lightning strikes. Severe storms in this region of the country produced damaging lightning strikes that caused evacuations at a Cancer Treatment Center in Swansea, a Praxair facility in Cahokia and a McDonald’s restaurant in the Wood River area. According to news accounts, firefighters responded to reports of fire and smoke at these businesses and to a string of other lightning fires at multiple residences in nearby Illinois suburbs.
It seems like this April weather is just a foreshadowing of a stormy spring season, as weather forecasters are predicting more of the same across other parts of the country. Rapidly fluctuating temperatures, increased moisture and rising daytime heat can provide prime conditions for spring and summer thunderstorms to develop.
Against this backdrop of unpredictable weather, LPI reminds property owners of the importance of lightning protection systems in helping to prevent injury and property loss during lightning storms. In a worse case scenario a lightning strike to an unprotected structure can cause catastrophic fire damage. A best case scenario may mean damage to electronics or appliances—translating to expensive repairs and inconvenient downtime. Fortunately, a lightning protection system can offer an affordable and reliable solution against this underrated, yet highly destructive weather hazard.
A lightning protection system provides a network of low resistance paths to safely intercept lightning’s dangerous electricity and direct it to ground without impact to the structure or its occupants. But the key to safe and reliable protection is through professional installation. Grounding 30 million+ volts of electricity is not a do-it-yourself project, so home and business owners should not attempt to install lightning protection systems! As property owners consider an investment in lightning protection, they should be sure to contract with qualified and experienced specialists who are trained to install systems in accordance with the nationally recognized safety standards of LPI, NFPA and UL.
It only takes one lightning strike to reduce a home or building to rubble and lightning doesn’t discriminate with regard to its victims. Sir Richard Branson felt the wrath of lightning’s destruction in August of 2011 when his home on Necker Island was destroyed by a lightning strike that forced his household and guests to evacuate in the early hours of the morning. News reports of the lightning fire cited visiting actress, Kate Winslet rescuing Branson’s 90-year old mother from the blaze. Thankfully, Branson and his family and guests safely evacuated without injury, but his home and its contents were lost for good.
Lightning can wreak havoc on unsuspecting home and business owners. Since it doesn’t discriminate according to region of the country like other natural disasters, most areas are susceptible to lightning strikes. Recognizing the impact of lightning is the first step in preventing damage.
