What to Do When Lightning Strikes Your Home
Lightning strikes are rare in urban areas, but they’re not unheard of. Lightning can strike your home, and when it does, you may not know what to do. The initial shock may cause you to panic. If your home sustains damage, even damage you can’t see, your homeowners insurance may be able to help. Here’s what you should do when your home is struck by lightning:
Make Sure You’re Safe
In the immediate aftermath of a lightning strike, make sure your home is safe. Unplug all appliances. During this process, be sure to avoid electrical outlets, which may be charged after the strike. Stay away from windows and other areas where lightning may have struck to avoid being physically impacted by the lightning strike.
Notify Your Insurance Company
Once you’re confident that your home is safe to move around in, you should call the insurance company. Provide as much detail as possible about what occurred. If there’s visible damage, take pictures and send them to your insurance provider. Your insurance company may send an adjuster to evaluate the damage the lightning strike caused to your home.
Call an Electrician
While your insurance company will send someone out to assess the visible damage, a trained electrician will be able to give you a more detailed report on the status of the electrical connections in your home after a storm. Ideally, there won’t be anything to report, but this is a good step to take if you live in an older home or feel like something’s off with the electricity after the strike.
Submit an Insurance Claim
Once your home has been thoroughly inspected and you’ve determined what repairs are needed, you need to submit the claim to your insurance. This claim should include all information and documentation you’ve gathered relating to the damage caused by the lightning strike.
Having your home struck by lightning is a real shock, and it can cause serious damage. Your homeowners insurance should have you covered, but some policies cover homeowners better than others. If you’re in the market for home insurance, the Nsure app can help you compare policies from 50 top-rated insurers in less than 5 minutes. Be sure with Nsure.
