After lightning strikes damage several Central Florida homes, experts talk safety

HUNTERS CREEK, Fla. - Since the end of last month, lightning has struck three Central Florida homes, leaving residents stunned.

"When you got forces of nature fighting against you – there isn’t much you can get done. You’ve got to respect nature," said Michael Walker, whose home was destroyed by lightning.

One of the simplest ways to protect your home is by putting up a lighting protection system, combining lightning rods and electrical surge protection. Kenneth Friend, Jr. Installs these systems for Jasper Thompson Lightning Protection.

"We take the direct current from the lightning strike and get it into the ground and we stop the structure from catching on fire, loss of life or structural damage," Friend said.

The workers install lightning rods on the roof of the house and use special cables to connect it to the ground. Friend said a residential system could cost from two to around four thousand dollars.

If lighting strikes your home during a thunderstorm and you have lightning rods attached to your house, it channels the bolt through the metal rod instead of your house. "If you put a big, tall metal rod into the sky, the lightning has an easier path than in the surrounding regions," explained Dr. James Cooney, Ph.D. who works at the University of Central Florida.

Central Florida has some of the most lightning strikes in America. Cooney said it was wise to protect your home. "If you're in a two-story house, a higher house that is more likely to get his by lightning it's certainly worth the money."

Experts say the state is considering whether to require lightning protection for new buildings. For now, they say it's not part of the guidelines for new construction.