Did your lightning event leave you unable to stay in your home overnight or for a longer period? A house’s roof and attic are especially susceptible to fire damage as it is usually close to the point that gets struck and conductive structures such as metal gutters and water pipes. In these cases, the lightning will complete its path through the house. A rapidly growing cumulonimbus cloud. Lightning can occur even if the sky is clear or when it is sunny. During your documentation efforts, be sure to take pictures and videos when appropriate. If your property experienced a fire, restoration services like All Dry USA can help repair structural damage while we can help replace your roof. If your house is struck by lightning, you should know how to protect yourself and mitigate the damage. Know the Indicators of a Potential Lightning Strike. All Rights Reserved. Lightning is responsible for more than 4,000 deaths worldwide annually—according to those documented in reports from 26 countries. The faster professionals come to your home to assess any damage, the better. If you see or smell smoke or signs of a fire, leave your house immediately. How to Get Insurance to Pay for Roof Replacement? A lightning surge can emit enough heat to set surrounding materials like wood and insulation alight and cause a fire. Below are some tips and advice related to lightning and your residence. Common signs that your home was struck include: If you are home during the strike, you may immediately realize that lightning struck your house because of the proximity of the loud sound and the proximity of the flash. Seek shelter immediately to reduce the risk of lightning injury or even death. However, this can also be the result of extreme wind, which is why it’s so important to do a visual inspection. A HOME insurance expert has revealed whether you can claim if your house has been hit by lightning. Not all lightning strikes come with obvious signs, although you will likely hear a loud noise or see a flash outside the window. The goal was to educate the public about the dangers of lightning, and that point was driven home earlier this month when a six-story statue of Jesus north of Cincinnati was struck by lightning. Our roof damage repair services are of the highest standard. Then, begin to investigate inside and outside your home. The fire department will come out to your property and assess the area for damage, including using thermal imaging cameras to search inside … Immediately after a lightning strike, check out your home for indications of fire or smoldering. Lightning strikes the earth about 100 times every second and can heat the surrounding air to up to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (The Weather Channel).As such a destructive force, it’s no wonder lightning damage caused $790 million in homeowners insurance losses in 2015 and an average of almost $8,000 per paid claim (Insurance Information Institute). Signs of Lightning . The sooner you fix your residence, the faster your life can return to normal. A house’s roof and attic are especially susceptible to fire damage as it is usually close to the point that gets struck and conductive structures such as metal gutters and water pipes. Each strike of lightning contains about one billion volts of electricity. Copyright - 2020 Authentic Restoration LLC. Once the fire department has given an all-clear, you will need to call your local electrician to perform a surge inspection. "Honest and professional. Call 9-1-1 and tell them your home was struck by lightning, even if you do not see signs of a fire. The agent at the other end of the phone will walk you through a list of questions. Call 9-1-1 and tell them your home was struck by lightning, even if you do not see signs of a fire. When you have proof that your home was hit and damaged by lightning, you will want to call your insurance company. Below are some tips and advice related to lightning and your residence. Did the lights suddenly flicker? Sometimes, the sky lights up a little too close to home. All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Terms | Roof Waste Calculator, Unfortunately, it often happens that a house or commercial building is standing between the positive and negative charges that form and initiate the electrostatic discharge between the cloud and the ground. Lightning is the result of an abrupt and natural high-voltage electrical discharge between a storm cloud and the ground. If you think a fire started, or that a place in your home was singed, call the fire department by contacting 911.