“In an average year, about 500,000 lightning flashes hit the ground in Colorado, and El Paso County has the most number of lightning casualties (injuries + deaths).” - (National Weather Service, Colorado Lightning Statistics as compared to other states, Pueblo Weather Forecast Office)
Colorado is in the top ten states for strikes annually. Regionally, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah typically have the most lightning-caused, personal property damage, insurance claims logged annually. From 1987-1993, over $7 million in claims for an average of 6,755 claims annually, and Colorado is atop that heap, according to www.researchgate.net, Insured Lightning-Caused Property Damage Claims in Three Western States, January 9, 2015.
This brings up the topic of surge protectors for our electronic devices and whole home surge protectors installed at the power panel. As of 2020, National Electrical Code requires surge protectors on all new builds, service upgrades and service replacements for all service panels. There is no way to predict where, when or how powerfully lightning will strike, nor can we protect from a direct strike on personal property. But we can mitigate damage from the energy surge that blows out our devices when lightning strikes in the neighborhood. We can protect expensive appliances, TVs and gaming systems, vehicle charging stations and vital medical equipment common in homes where our population is aging-in-place.
If you’ve ever been through a lightning strike claim with your homeowners’ insurance, they are time-consuming and costly, and tedious rounding up all the receipts for every device destroyed by the event. Most of us would rather spend that deductible on something we can enjoy too.
Contact Gringo Dave’s Electric, Inc. today at Dave@gringodaveselectric.com or 719-290-1484 to answer questions about whole home surge protection solutions and individualized home recommendations for your needs.