Thunderstorms And Your Electronics

6/24/2019 (Permalink)

A thunderstorm is an atmospheric disturbance that involves lightning and thunder. It may be accompanied by torrential rain, hail or high winds. A severe thunderstorm can cause flooding, fires, power failures and electrocution, and result in serious damage.

While surges due to thunderstorms are rare, you should at the very least unplug your high-ticket electronics, like your TV, computer and gaming console.

Be safe

An important thing to remember when pulling the plug on your electronics, is that you can be electrocuted if you touch a cord during a surge. It's best to unplug items before a storm gets to your area.

Will a surge protector help?

Many people think that surge protectors that you plug into the wall will save their electronics from power surges due to storms, however that is not the case. 

Surge protectors are meant to protect against common, small surges in the electrical grid that happen from time to time. They can help reduce the power surge before it reaches your device, but they are not designed to protect items from the massive surge of electricity that happens from a lightning strike during a storm.

What can protect your devices during a storm is a whole house surge protector or suppressor. These are much more expensive than an outlet surge protector and are meant to be installed on your house's main electrical panel.

If you experience Storm damage or flooding, contact SERVPRO of Bloomington/Pontiac. 309-827-7500