Lightning Myths & How to Protect Your Family From Lightning Injuries

This myth could put your family in danger if lightning struck your house in the past and you now think it is immune against future lightning strikes. The origin of this myth is unclear, but this myth likely circulates due to the belief that lightning strikes are so rare that the odds of lightning striking the same location twice is so rare it is impossible. 

However, lightning can and does strike the same location multiple times. For example, the Empire State Building in New York City was struck by lightning three times in just one night in 2011 and is believed to be struck as many as 100 times during an average year. Weather experts also believe that the Sears Tower in Chicago is struck by lightning about 50 times each year. 

Thankfully, the buildings and the people inside of them are protected by these lightning strikes by highquality lightning protection systems. 

2. You Are Completely Safe From Lightning Strikes When Indoors

If you instruct your family to head indoors when thunderstorms or lightning storms occur, then realize that it is true that your family is safer from lightning strikes when indoors. However, an average of onethird of all lightning-related injuries occurs with people who are indoors when lightning strikes.

When lightning strikes a home or strikes near a home, the electrical charge can travel through metal plumbing pipes into your home and electrocute anyone using or touching your indoor plumbing fixtures. 

In addition, many home items attach to outdoor conducting paths that lightning can strike. This includes almost any item plugged into a wall, such as electronics and appliances, corded home telephones, and television cables. In fact, the use of corded devices during a storm is the number one cause of most indoor lightning injuries.

Lightning can also strike family members standing near windows and doors, and it can even travel through the metal wires or bars that are often inside concrete walls and electrocute a family member that is touching the walls. 

To protect your family while they are inside your home, ensure your home has a lightning protection system. A lightning protection system consists of a series of rods and conductor cables that direct the electronic charge that lightning carries away from your home and deep into the ground. 

Contrary to popular belief, lightning protection systems do not attract lightning. Instead, they simply offer lightning a path to the ground with very little resistance; lightning is attracted to the ground due to the positive charge it carries and is always looking for a path to it.

When lightning is attracted to this system instead of the less conductive materials your home is composed of, you can feel better that your family is safe and secure from lightning-related injury or death when indoors. 

Don't believe every myth you hear about lightning because it is a hazard that kills and injures many people each year. Contact Michigan Lightning Protection to discuss your residential lightning protection system options.