So they are still attaching the LPS to roofs with square nails? :22yikes: Per AI:Advancements in Lightning Protection Systems (LPS) over the past two decades
Over the past 20 years, Lightning Protection Systems (LPS) have undergone significant advancements, particularly in their ability to monitor and potentially mitigate the effects of lightning strikes, moving beyond simply diverting the strike to the ground. Key changes and improvements include:
Move towards proactive lightning prevention: Instead of only channeling lightning to the ground, newer technologies like the CMCE Lightning Suppressor aim to proactively neutralize the atmospheric charge buildup that causes lightning, preventing strikes altogether.
Emphasis on internal building protection: LPS standards now incorporate measures to safeguard internal building functions and sensitive electronic equipment from power surges, electromagnetic pulses, and potential damage caused by lightning strikes, according to the Lightning Protection Institute.
Enhanced monitoring and maintenance: Modern LPS systems are incorporating AI and IoT for features like:
Predictive Maintenance: Analyzing lightning patterns and weather data to forecast risks and schedule proactive maintenance.
Autonomous Optimization: Self-calibrating grounding systems based on real-time environmental data.
Fault Diagnostics: Identifying potential vulnerabilities or degradation within the LPS, reducing the need for manual inspections.
Improved Testing and Inspection Methods: Drones are being used to enhance safety and efficiency in LPS testing, allowing for faster and more cost-effective inspections, especially in hard-to-reach areas like wind turbines.
Integration with broader safety and construction practices: There's a growing awareness of the need to integrate LPS design and installation with other building systems and construction processes for optimal safety and performance.
Refined standards and best practices: Organizations like the NFPA have updated standards like NFPA 780 to reflect the advancements in lightning protection, emphasizing comprehensive protection for structures and their internal systems.
These advancements reflect a growing understanding of lightning's multifaceted impact and the potential to move beyond traditional methods to actively prevent and monitor potential lightning damage, thereby improving safety and protecting valuable infrastructure and technology.

I have read in previous threads on this topic that some villagers have had the gas line in their attic replaced with a type that can’t be punctured by lightning. I don’t remember the details though. I think we’ll look into that option before we’ll consider a LPS installation.

Another option could be to replace gas appliances with electric and remove/cap off the iron gas line into the attic.

With a direct or nearby strike strong enough to cause damage, insulation in appliances or the homes wiring could be degraded.

There's risk at some point the insulation could degrade over time enough to arc and start a fire.

There are devices like Ting designed to provide early warning and prevent fires. Some insurance companies provide them at no charge.

Ting - Electrical Fire Safety, Simplified - Smart+Proactive=Prevention

Lightning Strikes: Florida is known as the "Lightning Capital" of the United States due to frequent thunderstorms. The state experiences millions of lightning strikes annually. While not every strike hits a house directly, statistically, about 1 in 200 homes in the U.S. will be struck by lightning each year. This risk is even higher in Florida compared to other states due to the prevalence of storms.
Winning the Lottery: The odds of winning a major lottery jackpot like Powerball are astronomically low, approximately 1 in 292.2 million. The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are similar, at 1 in 302.6 million.
In summary
You are much more likely to have your house struck by lightning in Florida than to win a major lottery jackpot.
While the odds of a lightning strike on a specific house in a given year are still low (around 1 in 200), they are significantly higher than the odds of winning the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot (around 1 in 292 million to 1 in 302 million respectively).
It's important to remember that these are statistical probabilities. Taking precautions like installing a lightning protection system can further reduce the risk of a lightning strike damaging your home.

So, if you live south of Rt44 with a gas house, your home will have improved flexible gas tubing but even with this, if you read the manufacturers web site under the warrenty, it states if you live in Florida, Texas and several other states where lightning is a problem, they recommend you consult with a Lightning Protection company. Meaning, while the chances of a gas fire from a Lightning Strike have been reduced with this improved tubing, there is still a chance that it will fail from a lightning event.

The only way to reduce the risk to near zero is to have a lightning protection system installed or replace all your flexible gas piping with solid black pipe. Replacing your flexible pipe with solid black pipe will cost way more than a LPS but without a LPS you still have the risk of lightning striking and causing a fire, just the gas pipe failure will not be a problem.

This is what Grok on my Tesla tells me :smiley:

The odds of your home in The Villages, Florida, being hit by lightning are influenced by the area's high lightning activity, dense housing, and local conditions. Here’s a detailed assessment based on available data:

Florida’s Lightning Capital: Florida has the highest lightning strike density in the U.S., with an average of 25.3 cloud-to-ground strikes per square mile per year (1997–2018 data). The Villages, located in central Florida (Sumter, Lake, and Marion Counties), is in a particularly lightning-prone region, often cited as part of the "Lightning Alley" from Tampa to Orlando.
The Villages’ Lightning History: The Villages has a notable history of lightning strikes. Since 2004, at least 21 homes have been destroyed by lightning-related fires, with 11 strikes reported in the 12 months prior to August 2025. Additionally, a 2024 forum post noted an average of 6–8 lightning strikes on homes per year in The Villages over the past five years. This suggests a higher-than-average risk for residential properties due to the community’s size (over 80,000 homes) and exposure.

General Odds for a Specific Home: The National Weather Service estimates the odds of a specific home being struck by lightning in a given year at roughly 1 in 200,000 to 1 in 1,000,000 nationally. However, in high-risk areas like The Villages, the probability is likely closer to the higher end. A 2022 article from **************.com stated that the chance of a home being struck by lightning is greater than winning the lottery (approximately 1 in 300 million for a major jackpot), suggesting a rough annual probability of around 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 50,000 for a home in The Villages, though exact figures depend on local conditions.
Local Factors:

Geography and Density: The Villages’ flat terrain and dense housing increase the likelihood of strikes hitting homes rather than open land. A 2024 forum post speculated that the compact development pattern contributes to higher strike rates.

Construction: Many homes in The Villages have metallic elements (e.g., gas lines in attics), which may increase fire risk after a strike. Homes without lightning protection systems are more vulnerable to damage.

Recent Incidents: Examples include a home destroyed in the Village of Winifred (May 2025), a fire in the Village of Summerhill (July 2025), and a strike in the Village of DeLuna (August 2025), indicating frequent lightning-related damage.


Cumulative Risk: Over a 30-year period, assuming an annual probability of 1 in 50,000, the cumulative chance of your home being struck could be approximately 0.06% (1 in 1,667). If the annual risk is closer to 1 in 10,000 due to The Villages’ high strike rate, the 30-year probability rises to about 0.3% (1 in 333). These are rough estimates, as precise odds depend on your home’s specific location within The Villages (e.g., proximity to open fields or tall trees).

Mitigation: Installing a lightning protection system (LPS) certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or the Lightning Protection Institute can significantly reduce damage risk, though it doesn’t prevent strikes. About 18% of lightning-related fires in The Villages are linked to work-related activities or unprotected structures, suggesting that proper grounding and surge protection can lower risks.

Recommendation: For a more precise estimate, share your home’s specific village (e.g., Village of Charlotte, Winifred) or nearby features (e.g., golf courses, tall trees). You can also monitor local lightning activity using tools like WeatherBug’s lightning tracker for The Villages. To stay safe, follow the “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors” guideline and consider consulting a lightning expert like Len Hathaway, who offers safety tips in The Villages.

If you want, I can search for more specific data on recent strikes in your area or analyze any additional details you provide about your home!15 𝕏 posts25 web pages7.3sHow can Grok help?

Thank you for your post. At our house across from LSL in Creekside Landing, and had a surge due to lightning this past Friday night (accompanied by a heart-stopping thunder clap) that fried several costly items that will take us weeks and thousands of $ (equipment replacement and manpower) to replace.

We've been paying for SECO's Surge protection for 5+ years, and upon calling their offices this Monday August 18 to question coverage, they shared only that the coverage is up to 4,000 joules, providing contact info for a 3rd party we must contact with any questions or to file a claim in that regard.

After Friday night's lightning experience, I would appreciate learning what LPS / lightning rod options are available for small--parcel-homes such as courtyard villas that would not divert dangerous electricity towards neighbors.
Thanks much for any advice or info.

I would start by reading this group. Nextdoor

You have two things to do. 1) Have surge protection installed. Call Lenhart Electric or Lake Deaton Electric, or Pikes Electric since they have the expertise to evaluate what you need. 2) You might want to consider a lightning protection system. You were very lucky that lightning didn't hit your home.

As far as the Seco surge protector, you are wasting your time trying to claim insurance with them because if you read the warranty, they clearly state they will not cover any devices with an electronic chip installed which is pretty much everything these days. Also, anything they might cover is secondary to your main insurance. That surge protector is designed mainly to protect your home from surges from the power utility and the whole house surge protector installed at your circuit breaker panel such as the Eaton Ultra is designed to cover everything else. Eaton's warranty does cover all your devices, electronic chip or not. If you have that installed you probably would have had little or no damage. Many believe the Seco surge protector at the meter protects the whole house but it doesn't. Unfortunately, you need both protectors plus point of use protectors at your sensitive electronic devices such as computers and TVs.

Forgot to mention, if you decide to get a LPS system installed, you will have a long wait. I understand A1 is booked out to January. Becasue of all the severe storms and strikes with fire, many are lowering their risk by getting a system.

Lightning hit at least two houses in Middleton in the past couple of weeks; no fires, but one house had damages to their irrigation, garage door openers, major appliances, including a brand new TV and oven, pool equipment, AC handler, and tankless water heater. A lot of the houses there are having lightning protection installed; at least half a dozen installed this past week alone.

So lightning probably hit near by their homes and they got a lightning induced power surge. In order to protect your home from this you need a whole house surge protector such as the Eaton Ultra. Call Dave at Lake Deaton Electric he can advise you and your neighbors.

One house (the one I mentioned with the damages) definitely got hit by lightning directly. The fire dept. came to check out their house, right after the strike. They also posted photos of the spot where the lightning hit. They had lightning rods installed a week later.

So there is a company that isn’t booked out until January. Do you know what company they used for install in a week? Many would love this information. Was this a 2 story home?