Your system struck by lightning? What did you learn?


I'm really curious to learn from anyone who has suffered a lightning strike.  Did you use surge suppression? What survived? What did not? Were your neighbors worse or better off?

Anyone pay for the electrical service's monthly surge suppression in the meter?
erik_squires
You can also add coaxial gas tube arrestors upstream of the modem and off air antennas to add another layer. 
F Type Lightning Arrestor Female to Female Bulkhead with O-Ring 3GHz 75 ohm with 90V Gas Tube Discharge TV Surge Protector Surge Arrester https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PXQ4SV4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_8YYVZXTKYTYQZT6CFB3M
You can also add coaxial gas tube arrestors upstream of the modem and off air antennas to add another layer.


Heh, already ordered. :)
My next door neighbour got struck by lighting about two months ago, house caught on fire.  Major damage, will take them over nine months to repair.  What I didn't realize at the time was I was hit.  I lost two network switches and my Wyred 4 Sound preamp.  It was connected to a panamax MR4300 so I filed a claim with them.  Only paid me market value and not replacement.  Strange that my DAC, Phono pre, Tuner, CD player and Amplifier were all spared.
      While doing TV and Audio repair and rebuilds (Early Seventies), in the Central Florida area, I learned: it's always best to completely unplug anything you value, before the lightning strikes.

       In the Summer, you could set your watch to the daily Thunder Storms (lots of business/lessons of value).

       The only thing I've ever personally lost to a storm, is a microwave, here in Indiana.
I learned: it's always best to completely unplug anything you value, before the lightning strikes.


Very true.  The counterpoint to this is that you can't always be home when these events happen.  If I am home, or know a big storm is coming I turn off my hifi system, but I have too many devices around the house I cannot do this for every time.  Computers, networking infrastructure, TV in the bedroom, Wifi enabled light switches, thermostats, etc.

I take the belt and suspenders approach. Surge suppressor in the panel, and at the devices as well as network surge protectors on either side of the cable modem and I'm about to install a 3' air gap using fiber optic cable between the cable modem and the rest of my home infrastructure.