Lightning Damage to Structures – Ver Pangonilo, PEE RPEQ

house destroyed by lightning Lightning is a natural phenomenon. It is a high energy electrical discharge from the atmosphere into the ground that any structure along the path of the discharge will dissipate the energy contained in it. The effects of lightning to a structure can cause damage to the structure itself and to its occupants and contents. The damages may also extend to the surroundings of the structure. The scale of this extension depends on the characteristics of the structure and on the characteristics of the lightning flash.

Table 1 – Effects of lightning on typical structures
Type of structure according to function and/or contents	Effects of lightning
Dwelling-house	Puncture of electrical installations, fire and material damage Damage normally limited to objects exposed to the point of strike or to the lightning current path Failure of electrical and electronic equipment and systems installed (e.g. TV sets, computers, modems, telephones, etc.)
Farm building	Primary risk of fire and hazardous step voltages as well as material damage Secondary risk due to loss of electric power, and life hazard to livestock due to failure of electronic control of ventilation and food supply systems, etc.
Theatre, Hotel, School Department store Sports area	Damage to the electrical installations (e.g. electric lighting) likely to cause panic Failure of fire alarms resulting in delayed fire fighting measures
Bank Insurance company Commercial company, etc.	As above, plus problems resulting from loss of communication, failure of computers and loss of data
Hospital Nursing home Prison	As above, plus problems of people in intensive care, and the difficulties of rescuing immobile people Industry Additional effects depending on the contents of factories, ranging from minor to unacceptable damage and loss of production
Museums and archeological sites Church	Loss of irreplaceable cultural heritage
Telecommunications Power plants	Unacceptable loss of services to the public
Firework factory Munition works	Consequences of fire and explosion to the plant and its surroundings
Chemical plant Refinery Nuclear plant Biochemical laboratories and plants	Fire and malfunction of the plant with detrimental consequences to the local and global environment

Source: IEC 62305-1 Protection against lightning – Part 1: General principles