The emergence of Spring after a long Winter (which in our area feels more like an eternity of arctic-comparable misery) means many things: birds chirping, life's renewal, flowers blooming, and the scary stuff... thunderstorms. On one hand, thunderstorms bring heavy rainfall that washes away the snowy remnants of months past. On the other hand, they often arrive with a dangerous foe we call lightning.
Ted Marino, resident of Brookfield WI and an R&R customer since 1984, explains the peace-of-mind he had immediately after his home caught fire from a lightning strike during a storm in 2010. Ted and Chris escaped without harm, but their house was another story...
Technically speaking, lightning is an electrical discharge caused by an imbalance of negative and positive charges. Thunderstorms often result in the storm clouds becoming negatively charged due to various colliding water particles, while objects on the ground become positively charged. In an attempt to rebalance this, electrical currents pass between the negatively and positively charged entities –producing bolts of electricity and heat that are both fascinating and incredibly dangerous.
Stay safe when lightning strikes:
- If you hear thunder or see lightning, move to a safe shelter (such as a building or metal-topped vehicle with the windows closed)
- If you are in or near a body of water, get out immediately!
- Stay off any electrical equipment (such as corded phones and computers)
- Steer clear of objects that conduct electricity (such as golf clubs, barbed wire fences, power lines, and windmills)
- Keep away from high points of elevation
When it comes to lightning, an alarming number of people believe the myth that “lightning never strikes the same place twice.” In fact, lightning can and will strike the same place twice (National Geographic reported about 100 strike earth’s surface every second) and at temperatures up to five times hotter than the sun!
Wisconsin residents can have the same peace-of-mind that the Marino's experience. Contact knowledgebroker Dan Wolfgram for more information about personal insurance options through R&R Insurance Services.