No, I’m not talking about the breakfast cereal with the cute cartoon characters in funny hats! 
April marks the dubious beginning of the season of violent thunderstorms that that runs throughout hot summer and ends in September. These six months that are most often associated with outdoor activities and family fun is also the time when the most severe damage occurs from lightening related incidents.
Over a 35-year period the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has documented that 92% of severe lightning damage occurs, so this would be a good time to evaluate your current exposure to both personal and business property, sensitive electronics and susceptible equipment.
Businesses with the highest level of exposure include utilities, telecommunications companies, cable TV and satellite vendors and other industries that rely on remotely located equipment. Although the amount of financial exposure in less, individuals with home theater systems, computer and home appliances need to be equally vigilant when guarding their assets against potentially devastating direct hits as well as equally damaging electrical surges that travel through the system.
The frequency and severity of thunderstorms during this period creates a constant threat from lightning. Before you or your property becomes part of the NOAA statistics, evaluate your grounding system and surge protection.
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Surge protection is designed to protect equipment from lightning-induced fluctuations on telephone and power transmission lines. Surge protection is very affordable and available at most big-box stores. Electronics such as computers whose hard drives which are highly susceptible to power fluctuations that occur daily even when no storm is present should have a good surge protection device year round.
When lightning strikes the ground nearby the electrical charge can radiates through the earth’s surface and travels following the path of least resistance. This high-frequency energy can quickly force fault current onto the bonded power circuits leading to exposed electronics.
Eliminating this fault path through the electronics, by temporarily isolating the equipment from the power connection, protects the equipment for the duration of the lightning threat. A properly installed grounding system is designed to quickly dissipate low frequency energy through grounding wires and into the earth.
While the peninsula of Florida has the unfortunate distinction of being the most often location for lightning strikes, the area of high exposure spans the entire Southeast and stretches all the way to the western states of Colorado and Wyoming on the Central Plains. The majority of this vast area will experience at least 50 days of exposure to severe thunderstorms in an average year, while the numbers in the Deep South range from 60 to 90 days of high exposure annually.
Before the air outside is filled with the smell of burning ozone, and the odor of burnt circuit boards fill your home, take a few minutes to evaluate your exposure and your plan of protection. Prevention is always more affordable and less frustrating than dealing with the aftermath of procrastination!
Protecting your property with an Intersystem Bonding Termination is easy and very affordable, as you’ll read in this article posted recently. Protect Valuable Electronics by Bonding all Electrical Systems
Click this link for a complete selection of lightning protection components, or call one of the knowledgeable customer service staff at Stormcopper.com. It’s a free call: 1-888-334-2177.
