Does Home Insurance Cover Damage from Lightning Strikes?

The typical lightning flash is a powerful, and extremely dangerous, force of nature. Conducting 300 million volts of electricity and reaching temperatures of up to 50,000°F, a lightning bolt can ignite a house fire; send shockwaves through a property that split stone, brick, cinder block, and concrete; and cause a power surge that wreaks havoc on a home’s electrical service panel, electronic devices, and appliances. In many cases, a standard homeowners policy includes coverage that helps pay for the costs associated with repairing your home after lightning strike damage.

When Does Home Insurance Cover Lightning Strikes?

If a home takes a direct hit from a lightning strike, the Dwelling Coverage, Other Structures Coverage, and Personal Property Coverage in a home insurance policy typically provide financial assistance to a homeowner so they can address damages resulting from this event. This includes coverage that may help pay for:

• Structural repairs to your home and any attached structures, like a garage.
• Fixing or replacing personal belongings, such as appliances and electronics.
• Restoring outdoor property, such as a shed, fence, or detached garage.
• Replacing trees and shrubs.

Additionally, if the impact of a direct lightning strike makes your home unlivable, the Loss of Use Coverage in your homeowners policy may assist with temporary relocation and additional living expenses incurred while your family is displaced and your home is undergoing repairs.

Home insurance also typically covers damages caused when lightning strikes a tree on your property that subsequently falls on your home or other structures. In this situation, a homeowners policy usually helps pay for tree removal as well as for fixing or replacing what the tree crashed into.

When Is Lightning Damage Not Covered by Home Insurance?

While a direct lightning hit is typically a covered event in a home insurance policy, there are other types of lightning strikes that can do substantial harm to your home but that are not always covered by home insurance. Here are the two most common ones:

• A “close call” or “near miss” lightning strike is when a bolt strikes near your home but does not make direct contact. The lightning’s current can still enter through your home’s electrical panel, underground plumbing, or metal bars in your foundation, causing substantial damage.
• A “ground surge” is when lightning strikes the ground or an object on the ground. This can create voltage surges that travel through power lines and communication cables, affecting electrical panels and equipment of homes in neighborhoods up to several miles away.

How Do You Protect Your Home Against Lightning Strike Damage?

Several dozen lightning strikes occur every second around the world, even in the dead of winter, so it is smart for homeowners to take steps that can minimize the damage if one hits their property. Following are three preventive actions you can take:

1. Unplug everything. From your coffee maker, microwave, and air fryer to desktop computers, gaming consoles, and TVs, disconnecting sensitive appliances and electronics when you know a storm is on its way can help block damage from power surges.
2. Ground electrical systems. If your electrical panel box is properly grounded outside, it may provide a path for lightning currents to flow safely into the ground, reducing the chances of harm to your home.
3. Invest in surge protection. The simplest approach is to get power strip surge protectors for the devices you want to safeguard, while a more comprehensive strategy is to hire an electrician to install a whole-house surge protector at your main electrical panel.

If lightning does strike your home, it is important to call the fire department immediately—even if there are no visible signs of damage. They will inspect your home for hard-to-detect fires that may be smoldering in your walls, attic, and other hidden places. If no fire risk is found, the next call we recommend you make is to a professional contractor. Schedule a thorough review of your home, including your roof, chimney, siding, gutters, walls, and foundation, to identify any lightning damage. If the lightning strike did cause damage to your home, the next step is to contact your local insurance professional for help understanding what your specific home insurance policy will cover and to assist you in navigating the claims process.

Sources:
https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-power
https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-temperature
https://www.sciencealert.com/lightning-really-does-strike-twice-and-this-is-where-it-happens-most
https://www.thisoldhouse.com/electrical/21194149/how-effective-are-surge-protectors