Lightning strikes villa in Belvedere today
 

Destroyed 40% of home but homeowner o.k. From online news. This was in Cherry Hill Villas in Belvedere which is near Belvedere that runs off 466. Fairly close to the Charter School campus for those new to The Villages or not yet a Villager..

oh my...thats terrible! i sure hate to hear it and hope they come out of this ok.

Glad no one was injured but sorry for the loss.

I was watching the lightning strikes on Weather Bug "Spark". Amazing how many strikes there were in that short time span.

I am glad to have lightning rods on my house. They were there when I bought the home but most likely, I would have bought them myself. Makes me feel a lot safer.

Was at the gym and noticed a lightning bolt that seemed like it hit the ground by Katie Belle's. No damage was caused, at least to my knowledge.

Was down here for one week, when a home in the NW corner, burned down. :22yikes:

Shook me up but since then, I got around to purchasing lighting rods for the homestead and feel much safer. Especially when a storm passed last year and with 4 solar tubes, it made it seem like I was in a disco, with strobe lights.

Sorry to hear this person has to experience what thunderstorms are like, in the lightning capital of the world.

We were @Southern Trace when the storm hit. Saw the billowing smoke and very high flames. We went through the Belvedere gate and saw the fire trucks going into the villas. According to the online news, about 60% of the house was saved.

Feel the same way. We had lightning rods put up a few months ago.

Who do others recommend to install lightning rods? We are new to TV this month.

We've had 5 strikes on our street in 5 years. All hit between homes at the irrigation system and blew out air-conditioners, breakers, appliances, electronics and garage door openers. Some homes lost more than others and all were told by fire depts and various electricians that lightening rods would not have helped in any of these situations.

For the best results only select firms that are listed by both Underwriters Laboratories and their installers have been qualified by examination by the Lightning Protection Institute. Door-to-door solicitors will not meet this criteria. Don't be fooled by their low ball prices or telling you that they use UL listed parts and equipment. Just because they are in the Yellow Pages does not necessarily mean that the meet the above UL and LPI criteria. Here are two firms known to be working in TV: A-1 Lightning is one and the other is Triangle Lightning that has an ad in the July POA Bulletin

I have heard this a lot over my last 25 years in Florida, however the link below indicates that title belongs to The Congo in Africa. We (Tampa to Orlando corridor) are #1 in the US though.

Shocking Find: Central Africa is the lightning 'capital' of the world News - The Weather Network

We had a direct hit 6/5, two large holes in our roof, thinking about the lightening rods, Triangle just did our neighbors..we live in Poinciana just off Bailey Trail.

Triangle did mine about a month or so ago and I feel so much better and calmer when the storms begin rumbling.

If a neighbor has a lightning rod installed ,he is just about guaranteeing that his neighbors will have their houses damaged--via irrigation, plumbing & electric lines

There are ground strikes and direct strikes according to the expert who came to our village meeting on the subject. If anyone wants him to speak to their group or has a question, his name is Lightning on this forum.


He has been involved with the University of Florida at Gainesville seeking and getting information on lightning after becoming interested after moving here several years ago and after seeing lightning burn homes to the ground and has prepared a power point informational presentation. He is a villager, and is not affiliated with any lightning rod installer. In fact will not give you any information about any of them.


I didn't want to go to this meeting when I heard about it and was very, oh I am not trying to be funny, enlightened. He knows his stuff. In the last decade, at least seven homes have burnt to the ground in The Villages. This area of Florida IS the lightning capital of the U.S.

Had my house done for about $600 it was a no brainier.

U do have a better sense of security knowing the system is there.








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