When a thunderstorm threatens, there are two things that are immediately important–protecting your family and protecting your home. Of course, in the heat of the moment, family has to come first. You need to get them safely into a basement or shelter and nothing else can stand in your way. So, what about your home? Unfortunately, at this stage it may all be left to chance unless you have prepared accordingly. There are several storm preparation methods you can use to stomp out your worries regarding your home and your home’s electrical system.

Study these 4 options and use them to make sure that you and your family have a functioning home to return to when the storm finally breaks.

• Electrical System Assessment

  Have a professional come in and asses your electrical system. This will ensure that the wiring in your home is undamaged, properly grounded and up to National Electrical Code (NEC) standards. When all of these are addressed and brought up to code your home stands a much greater chance of coming through an electrical storm unscathed.

• Whole-House Surge Protector

  Power surges from lightning strikes are incredibly dangerous. They can ruin home appliances, fry your wiring and even start house fires. That’s why it’s so important to have a whole-house surge protector installed in your home. This device helps to prevent any surges in your home from causing any major damage.

  Additionally, you should also use power cords with localized surge protection to keep your sensitive electronics safe.

• Lightning Protection Systems

  A lightning protection system is made up of three main components–air terminals or rods, conductor cables and ground rods. This system works by absorbing a lightning strike that would otherwise strike your home and transfer it from the air terminal, down the conductor cables and safely into the ground.

  These systems don’t protect from surges, but they do offer protection from fire and structural damage caused by lightning strikes.

• Raise Electrical Systems

  In this area, lightning isn’t the only threat to your home’s electrical system. No, you also have to be prepared for flash floods. If you have ever experienced flooding damage in your home, it may be prudent to consider having a professional electrician raise your electrical system components. This ensures that if water does get into your basement or lower levels, it won’t reach and short out your system.

Each of these preventative measures could one day end up saving your home, which is why we take them so seriously. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Contact an electrical professional to assess and upgrade your home for optimal protection from storms. We can get you connected with the best electrical contractors and electricians in the greater St. Louis community. The Electrical Connection is a partnership between the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local One (IBEW) and the St. Louis Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). Use our Find a Contractor Directory Search to easily find the right contractor for your residential electrical needs.

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