Spring Storms and Lightning Safety

Spring is my favorite season. There is just something about the newness of this season after the long, cold winter that brings happiness. Flowers that begin popping up out of the ground and the blooms and buds opening on the trees bring pure joy. The fresh smell of the ground is delightful. As I write this, it is February, and I am looking out the window at 10+ inches of snow on the ground with an additional 2-3 inches falling now. I am dreaming of the sound of lawnmowers (instead of snowblowers) and the smell of fresh cut grass, and thunderstorms brewing in the west. There is something relaxing to me about a gentle thunderstorm.

Spring is also the time of year where thunder and lightning are more likely to occur for us in the midwest. That includes some very severe storms at times.  Did you know that on average, lightning is the cause of 100 deaths per year in the United States? The odds of getting struck by lightning, however,  are approximately about the same as winning the local lottery. 

The odds of your house getting struck by lighting are considerably higher.  According to the National Lightning Safety Institute, the odds of your house getting struck by lighting are about one in every 200 houses. When lightning strikes a house several things can happen that can damage the structure and contents of your house.  The good news is that lightning is covered by almost all homeowners insurance policies.

I am hoping that our storms this spring will not be too severe, but if they are, we will be prepared!  Please visit this site for information on  lightning safety. If you are outside when a storm is approaching, don’t wait too long to get inside!

Jane Freeman is licensed in Property and Casualty Insurance at Peck and Wood Insurance.