Lousy day. A kvetch.

[trof]

BIG thunderstorm.
Lightning strike damn near on top of me fried:
1. TV
2. Wireless router/modem
3. Wireless phone
4. Changed radio frequency and turned volume to zero on small portable solar powered digital radio. The radio was not plugged in to an outlet.
Electro-magnetic pulse?

Next door it turned on their hot tub Jacuzzi and welded the switch.
Had to trip the circuit breaker to turn it off.

Two doors down it fried washer, dryer, heat pump (heat and A/C).

Crap.
Is this the 'new normal'?
We're seeing more violent thunderstorms in the last few years than we've ever seen before in our 24 years on the Alabama gulf coast.

[sl8]

1. Do you have a lightning rod? n/t

[trof]

4. No. Maybe I should get one.

[sl8]

7. Couldn't hurt.

It would serve as protection for the house and the immediate vicinity.

It wouldn't help with surges coming in on the powerlines, though. For that, you'd need suppresor(s). I think irisblue's suggestion of a whole house supressor sounds good, a!though I've yet to install one myself.

[Arazi]

2. Yes. It's the new normal. Welcome to climate change

It's upon us

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. How awful, my dear trof!

I hope you and all of us can find our way in this "new normal."

[Fla Dem]

5. Frightening and worrisome. Glad there were no injuries. nt

[irisblue]

6. maybe install a whole house surge protector into the

fuse box.

[sl8]

8. Have you installed one?

It's something I've been meaning to do for years, but haven't got around to yet.