LI Lightning Strikes | Long Island Earth Grounding
Think your home or business doesn’t need lightning protection
? Think again. Every year, thousands of properties are damaged or completely destroyed by lightning strikes. In the United States alone, lightning is responsible for more than a quarter billion dollars annually in property damage. Lightning creates more property loss and deaths than hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods combined. So, how much do you really understand about this potentially devastating phenomenon? We’ve gathered some important facts everyone should know regarding lightning strikes and susceptible structures.
Satellites around the globe continually monitor and chart lightning activity, providing us with critical data and statistics. 2,000 thunderstorms are happening on earth at any given moment, with 100 lightning flashes occurring each second. In the United States, there are more than 40 million lightning strikes yearly – about 40 strikes per square mile.
Need more statistics? From 1992-1996, insurance companies paid approximately 1.7 billion dollars in lightning related claims and settlements. The Insurance Information Institute estimates that 5 percent of all commercial claims filed involve lightning damage. And in 2002, the US Fire Administration reported approximately 17,400 structural fires due to lightning. The total number of dollars lost every year due to each lightning fire is about twice that of any other fire.
Maybe you’re thinking that all this just doesn’t matter because you don’t live in a lightning-prone area. The truth is, lightning doesn’t discriminate – it strikes anywhere on earth, even in the North and South poles. While the Northeast United States receives the most violent thunderstorms due to high earth resistivity, there really is no lightning-free region of the country. This means that any and every property is a property in need of lightning protection. Following the NFPA 780 Risk Assessment Guide, lightning protection systems are commonly installed on the following:
- Schools
- Hospitals
- Health care
- Rehab facilities
- Airports
- Shopping centers
- Office and business buildings
- Manufacturing plants
- Correctional facilities, and countless others
Of all the violent and catastrophic forces of nature, lightning is one of the most simple and economical to protect yourself against. Don’t let your home or business become the next statistic. Protect your property: contact our lightning protection company today.