How Lightning Destroys Your Devices

Does a lightning rod protect against electronics damage?

Lightning rods effectively protect buildings from direct lightning strikes but do not protect electronics from power surges. Lightning rods divert lightning energy to the ground, reducing fire and physical damage risk, but surges can still travel through electrical installations to our devices.

Can you use a smartphone during a storm?

Using mobile phones during a storm does not increase the risk of a lightning strike. The same applies to other electronic devices using wireless transmission.

Power surges - the biggest enemy of devices

When lightning strikes power lines during a storm, it can cause a so-called surge - a sudden voltage increase that can jump from the grid to our devices in a fraction of a second.

How lightning destroys from a distance

A lightning strike is a huge electromagnetic pulse. When tens of thousands of amperes flow through a lightning rod or another metal structure, a very strong magnetic field appears around it for a split second. That field can induce a voltage surge in a building's wiring and in devices up to several hundred meters away — a phenomenon called inductive coupling. It works on the same principle as a smartphone's wireless charger, only millions of times more violent — and instead of charging anything, it destroys.

What to do during a storm?

Disconnect devices from the power grid. Don't count on surge protector strips protecting your devices.

Did your equipment suffer after a storm? See our laptop repair service.