[pikeselectric]

Hello Jrref, Just wanted to mention thank you for such a detailed and informative post! Unfortunately there is no protection from a direct strike. We have received calls to respond to electrical issues in the aftermath of direct or nearby strikes causing damage. We have also received an influx of calls from new and older homes/residents in The Villages interested to transition their home's gas appliances (range and dryer) to electric. Although we do not get involved with the removal/capping/shut off of gas lines into the home, we have recently received numerous calls per day to make this change, wonder if it is because of such circumstance? New built homes in the Newell, Lake Denham, and even Middleton community homes may still have specification to install lines/gas appliances. On the note of whole home surge protection - We offer whole home surge protection with the Eaton Ultra, you may have some knowledge on it, and have had great success with it protecting homes with surge damage from nearby strikes/power surges. I look forward to reading any other information you may post for education. - Casandra with Pike's Electric

[jrref]

Originally Posted by pikeselectric

Hello Jrref, Just wanted to mention thank you for such a detailed and informative post! Unfortunately there is no protection from a direct strike. We have received calls to respond to electrical issues in the aftermath of direct or nearby strikes causing damage. We have also received an influx of calls from new and older homes/residents in The Villages interested to transition their home's gas appliances (range and dryer) to electric. Although we do not get involved with the removal/capping/shut off of gas lines into the home, we have recently received numerous calls per day to make this change, wonder if it is because of such circumstance? New built homes in the Newell, Lake Denham, and even Middleton community homes may still have specification to install lines/gas appliances. On the note of whole home surge protection - We offer whole home surge protection with the Eaton Ultra, you may have some knowledge on it, and have had great success with it protecting homes with surge damage from nearby strikes/power surges. I look forward to reading any other information you may post for education. - Casandra with Pike's Electric

Thanks for your response. Yes, I've stated in the Villages Lightning Study Group presentations and here in this thread that there is no surge protection from a Direct Strike. But again, we have seen different intensity strikes here in the Villages. Some of the smaller strikes on homes may have had less damage to the electrical equipment in the home if they had good layered surge protection installed.

As far as the gas concerns, installing a Lightning Protection System by a UL Certified installer will protect your home from a lightning strike and mitigate the problem with lightning strikes and the gas lines. We have a record of one person in the Villages who's home was struck with a lightning protection system installed and there was no damage to the home since the charge was directed safely to earth ground.

I had your company install the Eaton Ultra in my home here in Osceola Hills last year and your techs did a nice job. I also had the Eaton Ultra surge protector installed in my home in NY and it protected me from power surges we had serveral times over many years .

[jrref]

Originally Posted by HJBeck

Yes it may, but the grounding system would circumvent the home structure all together. Think about an airplane flying thru a thunderstorm. They use the same theory to route the stroke around the inside of the plane.

Actually, if you are in a metal enclosure like a car or an airplane the lightning doesn't effect you because you are in a Faraday cage or shield where the electrical charge travels over the metal of your vehicle or airplane and protects you inside.

In the case of a lightning protection system on your home when the charge hits one or more of the lightning rods there are several cables diverting the charge to earth ground. Different principle but same result.

[Dusty_Star]

Hi jrref, thanks for your time & efforts to help us. If someone is considering the layered approach, but thinks it may be too expensive to do every piece at one time, which order would you recommend? I do realize the best order would match to the type of threat encountered, but consider that unknowable, unfortunately.

[Altavia]

How Does One Lightning Strike Kill Multiple Animals? - E&S Grounding Ask the Experts

Herd animals that gather in groups are typically killed not by a direct lightning strike, but by the current flowing through the ground from the strike.

What happens is that the lightning strike often hits a tree or the ground near where the animals are gathered and the electrical current then spreads along the surface of the ground and shocks any people or animals in the vicinity of the strike. Electrical current literally goes up one leg and down the other back into the ground.

Eventually, the current dissipates as it flows further and further from the strike point.

For example, 23 cows were killed instantly after lightning struck the metal fence they were standing next to during a storm in Texas recently. Since the cows were all lined up next to the fence, they were all impacted by the lightning strike and burn marks on their stomachs indicated that electrical current had flowed through their bodies, killing them instantly.

The average lightning strike can carry more than 20,000 amps of electrical current, more than enough to kill a herd of cattle by passing through their nervous system and instantly stopping their hearts. It doesn’t matter whether the animals are touching or not, or how close they are to each other. The only thing that matters is how close they are to the strike point and how powerful the strike is.

We call this phenomenon “Step Potential”.

Step potential is the voltage between the feet of a person or animal standing near an energized object. Interestingly, animals are even more vulnerable than humans to step potentials because their legs are farther apart, so ground currents can travel more easily through their bodies.


How far can the ground current travel?

Hazardous step potentials can occur at a significant distance away from any given strike and the more current that is pumped into the ground, the greater the hazard. Animals have been reported to have been killed at distances over 250 feet from a lightning strike which shows just how far electrical current can travel through the ground.

Quick facts

Lightning causes more than 80% of all accidental livestock deaths (from USDA)
Over 100,00 farm animals are killed by lightning annually
85,000 chickens were killed due to a lightning strike in Florida
835 Sheep died due to a lightning strike in Utah
323 reindeer in a herd were killed by lightning in Norway
250 pigs died in Thailand due to a single lightning strike
68 Cows died due to a lightning strike in Australia
52 Cows died in Uruguay when lightning struck nearby wire fencing

Did you know?

Whether or not you believe in climate change, storms are becoming more frequent and violent, and records show large animal deaths by lightning strikes are on the rise.

A lightning strike is a common cause of death for wild Mustang horses that roam throughout the West because the flat terrain at higher elevations is frequently struck by lightning during a storm and if the horse is the tallest object on the plain he becomes the lightning conductor.

You may not realize that your livestock are dying from lightning strikes since animals electrocuted by lightning often do not show any burns on their bodies.

21 Cattle were killed when lightning struck a metal feeder they were eating from in McCook County, South Dakota — at an estimated loss to the rancher of about $45,000.

In 2016, Grade I winner “Brilliant Speed” was struck by lightning and killed. Brilliant Speed finished in the money in the G1 Belmont Stakes, G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf, G1 Jamaica Handicap, G1 Sword Dancer, and G1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic.

[djlnc]

Originally Posted by Altavia

A lightning strike is a common cause of death for wild Mustang horses that roam throughout the West because the flat terrain at higher elevations is frequently struck by lightning during a storm and if the horse is the tallest object on the plain he becomes the lightning conductor.

Isn't the house with lightning rods kind of like the "tallest object on the plain"?

[North country retiree]

The house in DeLuna took a direct hit to the roof. It killed router/modems and other electronics in at least 3 other residents on the street. We believe the water main was hit and the pipe cracked. The water meter did NOT explode. The fire department was called for the water main break and was told that lightening hit and threw breakers at houses on the street. The fire department then noticed the fire and investigated it at the house.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Originally Posted by Altavia

How Does One Lightning Strike Kill Multiple Animals? - E&S Grounding Ask the Experts

How far can the ground current travel?

Hazardous step potentials can occur at a significant distance away from any given strike and the more current that is pumped into the ground, the greater the hazard. Animals have been reported to have been killed at distances over 250 feet from a lightning strike which shows just how far electrical current can travel through the ground.

I was watching TV during my first of many biz trips to FL about 30 years ago, and i was staying in a Sunrise hotel. On the news was a report of a woman being killed by lightning while pushing her shopping cart to her car at Sawgrass Mills.

That blew my mind coming from the NE where T-storms are relatively infrequent of that magnitude. Now, meh

What also blew my mind was reading about the protection cone of a lightening rod, and then seeing lightning NOT hitting the tallest metal object at a refinery in Texas while on an oil tanker . . as well as knowing someone killed by a lightning strike within the cone of protection on an oil tanker

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by djlnc

Isn't the house with lightning rods kind of like the "tallest object on the plain"?

Yes, but....

The lightning rods provide a "cone of protection" that runs about 45 degrees from top of the rod. If you are within that cone then the lightning rod is the "tallest object on the plain." Even if you are standing only five feet away, if you are outside that cone then the lightning rod does nothing for you.

The rods on your neighbor's house will not protect your house because your house is outside the 45 degree cone.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by CoachKandSportsguy

I was watching TV during my first of many biz trips to FL about 30 years ago, and i was staying in a Sunrise hotel. On the news was a report of a woman being killed by lightning while pushing her shopping cart to her car at Sawgrass Mills.

That blew my mind coming from the NE where T-storms are relatively infrequent of that magnitude. Now, meh

Just a reminder, you really want to get off the golf course during lightening.



Golf Course Lightning: 5 Safety Precautions You Should Follow - Sport Light Supply

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Originally Posted by Altavia

Just a reminder, you really want to get off the golf course during lightening.

The lightning strike setting on weather apps is probably the most important setting while golfing in FL. I have had it go off on a nice partly sunny puffy clouds day in FL. . . makes you much more aware of the potential danger while golfing

We were golfing in a valley with woods around many years ago in the NE when a Tstorm and Tornado warning came up for the area. . then i was bit scared. . .

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by CoachKandSportsguy

The lightning strike setting on weather apps is probably the most important setting while golfing in FL. I have had it go off on a nice partly sunny puffy clouds day in FL. . . makes you much more aware of the potential danger while golfing

We were golfing in a valley with woods around many years ago in the NE when a Tstorm and Tornado warning came up for the area. . then i was bit scared. . .

This is my current favorite:

My Lightning Tracker & Alerts on the App Store

Not unusual to see hundreds of strikes an hour within a 10 mi radius.

[Altavia]

///

[jrref]

Originally Posted by Dusty_Star

Hi jrref, thanks for your time & efforts to help us. If someone is considering the layered approach, but thinks it may be too expensive to do every piece at one time, which order would you recommend? I do realize the best order would match to the type of threat encountered, but consider that unknowable, unfortunately.

I would get the whole house surge protector installed at the circuit breaker panel first.
Pikes has a discount running now till August 1st.
https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...466-post1.html

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Originally Posted by djlnc

Well, it's probably an unanswerable question since strikes are relatively rare and always different circumstances. However, I have to question the blanket claim that LPS does not attract lightning. How does one substantiate that? If there is a buildup of millions of volts in the clouds in my area that is looking for a place to go, it just seems logical that the house with the lightning rods that have that great connection to ground and are closer to that charge in the clouds than the other houses would be the likely path that lightning would choose.

Couple of questions:

1) i thought that through high speed cameras, it has been proven that lightning starts from the ground from collecting charges from the earth and goes up, which is why bolts end up going through and then above the clouds which air line pilots report.

2) i thought that lightning rods are old technology, which assumes that the building will get hit, so lightning rods create a limited faraday cage around the house, providing a path to the ground "safely"

3) I have read that new technology is built to reduce the buildup of earth's charges to reduce/eliminate the risk of creating a lightning bolt. I remember reading about the reduction from lightning protection on ski lifts and gondolas out west. . and this is the first article i found when googling it. .

https://www.lightningprotection.com/...udy-020513.pdf

just questions from a former working guy