Professionally-installed lightning protection systems are expensive and the risk of a direct strike is low, so most homes do not have them. Lightning current will produce significant damage to a house that is not equipped with a good protection system. All or part of bolts have been seen jumping from wall outlets to sink faucets and even across rooms!Īnimation showing possible lightning paths to ground inside of a house Lightning can connect to gutters, then jump to a window frame as a 'stepping stone' to the electrical system or water pipes. For example, lightning may first connect to electric lines in the attic of a house, then jump to better-grounded water pipes on the first or second floor. It can also jump through the air from one conductive path to another in what is called a side flash. Lightning passing through a house will often 'branch' and utilize more than one path to ground at a time. AT RIGHT: Lightning strikes a tree and house in Charleston, West Virginia in 1998. Lightning doesn't need conductive objects to reach ground, however - it's just forged its way through miles of air, so conductive objects in a house are a mere 'convenience' that it will use if they are available. This can include gas and water pipes, electric lines, phone lines, cable TV/internet lines, gutters, downspouts, metal window frames - anything conductive in a house is 'fair game' for the lightning to follow. Most houses are filled with many potential routes for lightning to follow in its journey. These fires inside enclosed spaces may not be visible in their beginning stages.Ī cloud-to-ground lightning bolt's main objective is to find the path of least resistance from the cloud to deep into the ground. It is common for lightning to start fires in the attic and within walls of homes. If you know your house has just been hit directly by lightning, call the fire department.
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