Moreover, it can travel through the wiring to the outlets and damage electronics not plugged into a point-of-use surge protector. If the surge is not stopped at the electrical panel, it can then travel over the surface of the wiring to the home, burning the insulation and fusing the wires together. If the electrical panel is equipped with a whole-house surge protection device, the surge will stop there. When lightning strikes a nearby power line, it travels the path of least resistance from the power line to the meter and then into the home’s electrical panel. The electrical system of a home or business is one of the most frequent points of entry of increased voltage from a lightning or surge event. Damage from this type of event is generally less severe than that of a direct strike. The energy from a nearby lightning strike can travel through communication wires (such as phone, internet, or cable wires), directly from a utility pole into the home’s electrical panel, or through conductive metal (such as plumbing or metal bars in the foundation) ( NWS). The more common scenario is for a nearby lightning strike to enter the home through wires or pipes that extend outside the home. Moreover, electronics plugged into an electrical system that receives a direct lightning strike typically cannot be protected by a surge protector. It can also cause structural damage to the roof, chimney, or sometimes the windows or foundation ( Storm Highway). In many instances, this will start a fire, often in the wiring within the walls or the attic. A direct lightning strike will cause significant damage to electrical and nonelectrical items in the home. The first is a direct lightning strike to the home, which is an infrequent occurrence. Lightning typically damages electronics in one of two ways. For smart home components assessed by our technicians for surge or lightning damage last year, the average cost to replace was nearly $3,500, and the average cost to repair was roughly $850. Depending on the level of integration, home automation equipment can quickly become expensive to repair or replace. This figure is expected to continue to rise as a growing number of homeowners install connected smart home components. Perhaps more significant for insurance carriers is the fact that the average cost per residential lightning claim has risen over 40% since 2007 ( III), which is indicative of the increase in the number of electronics susceptible to lightning- and surge-related damages per home. This represents a near 10% increase in the number of lightning claims filed in 2016 over 2015, though it is still below the 10-year average. A recent analysis of 2016 homeowner’s insurance claims by Insurance Information Institute revealed that over $825 million was paid on more than 100,000 lightning claims. Surge and lightning damage to electronics is a frequent occurrence, particularly in the summer months.
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