When there’s a severe thunderstorm and you’re outside, it’s wise to quickly find shelter indoors. But even when you’re at home, it’s a good idea to take certain precautions, like closing windows and doors. It’s also often said that you should unplug devices from the power socket. But why is that?
Lightning Strikes
Every year in the Netherlands, lightning strikes approximately 200,000 times. This can cause considerable damage. However, even when lightning strikes near your house, your home can still be affected. This is because the lightning’s outflows can extend 5 to 6.5 kilometers. The voltage can travel through the ground’s wiring to electrical devices in your house. And this comes with extremely high temperatures—up to 30,000 degrees Celsius. This can cause fires, cracks in the walls, or even the collapse of walls, according to the Dutch Fire Department. While electricity in your home shouldn’t exceed 230 volts, lightning can release between 20 to 100 million volts.
Unplugging Devices
By unplugging your devices, you prevent lightning from traveling through your electrical appliances if it strikes. This helps avoid the risk of ending up with damaged equipment. If you need to leave some appliances on, for example, to continue watching TV, be sure not to touch them. To protect your devices when you’re not home during an expected storm, you can secure them in a few ways, starting with surge protector power strips, which are available for purchase online. Many new devices also come with built-in surge protection.
Surge Protection in the Fuse Box
see continuation on next page
