Not thinking that at all. We are now south of 44 so in the prior fields of watermelon, livestock and crops. Just thousands of rooftops most within 7-10’ apart. So lighting most likely will always hit a roof. 2 month old Home 6 houses down was struck by lightning, 2022, pond behind, gas lines in the roof top, hole in roof no fire.

Between the 6’s most homes are the same height, with the same sf models built during that time. Roof tops are farther apart, 10- 20’ most trees are pretty much planted with very few old trees. We had a direct hit 3 houses down from us, in 2020. Just a hole in the garage part of the roof, that the torrential downpour if there was a fire it was out before trucks arrived. It did, however, knock out multiple houses of their appliances TVs and such. We and 1 other had surge protectors. Everything was unplugged at our house but still destroyed our irrigation box.

In the northern area, homes build with larger lots, so roof tops can be much farther apart. In some areas trees are so dense one wonders how rain gets through. While we were visiting Family not close to Lopez, but in general area, had lighting hit their house with 6 giant trees that ringed the home. Damage to the roof of garage, with smoldering, but no fire. That was 2007.

So personal experience from 2007 to 2024, three strikes. One might not want to live near us lightning has followed us to 3 out of 4 different villages in 17 years.

And it's these stikes where luckily there was no fire that are usually not reported in addition to the homes around the stike that got power surge damage.

But what you are saying about the density of homes down south is very true. I'm always talking about it. For example the house that was hit in DeLuna last year was a field the years before so if lightning stiked, no one knows about it. Now there are homes there so it's statistically a matter of time where unfortunately we will see more lightning events in these areas.

I’m 2 streets over from that DeLuna home that was hit. It’s nerve wracking every storm we get. A day ago lightning struck at LobLolly golf course near here. Some Deluna residents captured the lightning bolt off in the distance with their phone camera. We definitely heard it hit.

Lightning is not nerve-wracking for me. Even though I have gas lines in my attic, which I converted to lightning-proof black iron pipe, I have lightning rods, a whole house surge protection unit on my fuse box, and individual surge protectors on all home electronic devices. Now I just sit back and watch the show. Of course though, when I was a storm chaser - I went looking for the show.

In the Villages News in the past couple of days reported the pool equipment at the Franklyn Rec center was hit by lightning. Lightning started a fire on the fairway at the Lowlands Executive Golf Course, near the Water Lily Recreation Center, and lightning also sparked a blaze at about 5:30 p.m. Friday at a home on Cabella Circle in the Village of Hacienda North. This is in additon to all the strikes we have been talking about in the past week and yours that you mentioned today. I know A1 and Triangle lightning protection installers are booked up for several months so I'm sure after these couple of weeks of strikes you will see more systems installed. BUT I can tell you this, even if 50% of the homes in the Villages without a LPS were to call Triangle and A1 today to order a system, they probably couldn't install them all in our lifetime here in the Villages.

FEMA rates risk of loss due to lightening in Sumter County higher than Hurricanes. 146/yr for lightening vs 1/3 yrs for hurricanes.

Map | National Risk Index

Hello Cassandra, Does Pike install complete LPS??

So if one called today install could probably be after storm season. Any interest above say 25-50% of homes, one needs to calculate end of life ratio.

Sounds like odds of winning lottery could be better than getting LPS install. Then again win the lottery, just buy a different house

If you want a LPS system installed sooner, reach out to Triangle. I believe they have some appointments still open. But even if your appointment is way out, it's still better to get a system then not given all the data for those who want one.

We have all of the surge protection you mentioned as well as the one from SECO on the meter. How do we get our gas lines changed in the attic?

Newer homes no longer are built the yellow lines of years past.

Use a gas piping contractor. The one I used 8 years ago has retired and no longer runs a business.

True. I only replaced my gas lines because they were the cheaper, yellow, flexible lines that were not lightning proof.

We moved here in 2014 and I KNEW I wanted lightning rods. Ended up purhasing a house that already had them but then moved and got lightning rods on the new property. With the violent storms we have here, I wouldn't do without them. People always doubt them until there is a horrible lightning storm! My husband never believed in them but we have them for my peace.

The only difference with the new CSST lines is a black plastic coating intended to self seal pinholes in the tubing from a near by lighting strike.

No telling how long that plastic coating will be effective in a Florida attic.

It will not survive a direct strike like iron pipe can.

Coated CSST can still turn your attic into a BBQ grill.

As posted previously, the CSST manufacturer recommends adding a LPS in areas of high lightening risk.