It’s been a challenging week for my family and me.  Our house was struck by lightning this weekend during an incredible storm.  Not only was my home struck but a friend in my office had her house struck by lightning and it then proceeded to burn.  Fortunately, they got out in time but they are without home, clothes, furniture, appliances – all the things so many of us take for granted.  My home didn’t burn thankfully but every appliance that was plugged in is now toasted. 

 

We’ve spent thousands replacing new appliances, computers, TVs, DVD players, etc.  I’ve spent hours on the phone with phone companies, utilities, repairmen, computer and software techies all with the hope of getting my household back up and running.  The local utility, OPPD, offers whole house surge protection but that doesn’t protect you from a direct hit. 

 

A century ago in this area most houses had at least one lightning rod.  Maybe that’s the way to go.  So far I haven’t been able to find a place to purchase them locally but a quick trip to Google turned up several possibilities.  It appears that the equipment and fixtures run around $50.  The trick is figuring out how many your house would need and how to install them.  My husband and I don’t even attempt such feats so we’d have to hire an electrician to do the job for us.  So it doesn’t appear to be a cheap and quick fix.  But it’s something to certainly ponder.

 

Have any of your homes been struck?  Have you installed lightning rods or some other device?  I’d love to hear from you.  Please feel free to offer a comment below.  Thanks for reading.