Annual Probability of Lightning Damage to Your Home

Lightning strikes the United States approximately 25 million times per year, and the insurance industry estimates that about 1 in 500 homes (approximately 200,000-250,000) experience lightning-related damage or disruption annually. Lightning causes approximately $1 billion in property damage each year and is covered under standard homeowners insurance policies.

Lightning damage to homes can include house fires (lightning is the second leading natural cause of house fires), damage to electrical systems and wiring, destruction of electronics and appliances (from power surges), damage to plumbing (lightning can travel through water pipes), and structural damage (to roofs, walls, and chimneys). The average homeowner's insurance claim for lightning damage is approximately $12,000.

Protection measures include whole-house surge protectors (which protect against power surges entering through electrical lines), point-of-use surge protectors for sensitive electronics, lightning rods (which provide a controlled path for lightning to reach the ground), proper grounding of electrical systems, and unplugging sensitive electronics during thunderstorms. Homeowners in lightning-prone areas (Florida, the Gulf Coast, and the central US) face the highest risk.