The DIL, kids and I were sitting at the bar (just got out of swimming) talking (not paying much attention to the out of doors) when all of a sudden BLAM!! Lightening hit the house!!!!

It was the damndest thing I've ever seen or heard. We all just sat there in shock until finally someone said, "DAMN!" Apparently it hit the satelite dish on the top of the house and ran thru the house (electrical parts or something). Nuked a lot of stuff including my computer (the business one - curses!!!).

The weird thing was - the lights never even flickered.  We were still shook up yesterday, but today we're trying to figure out what's out and what's going to have to be replaced.

James is working on my computer trying to save what he can off the hard drive, but it's pretty well gone (the insurance company loves that one - so much for surge protectors... we don't know about the printers yet). The poor phone man worked almost 8 hours getting the phones back in working order yesterday. One line gave him a bad headache. He said the lines were nuked. It got one phone - the jack is good, but the phone is gone - figure that one.

Some of the plugs are good - some aren't. GOing to have to have an electrician out to check the whole wiring system in the house. Nuked one of the TVs and all the satelite boxes except one (that was strange too).

We haven't checked out the barn good yet, but Buddy said it got the lights there - knocked out the balast or something. He didn't check the fridge down there. Hope his beer didn't get hot. That might upset him.  :)

I just can't believe we were swimming 30 minutes before this thing hit and then wham!! LIke I always say - in Texas if you don't like the weather - wait a few minutes! :)

Ya'll have a nice day... :-*

Things are messed up.  Kind of glad all were out of the water in case it branched over.  Sounds pretty bad, rules out playing the lottery, lightning don't strike twice...

Toast for breakfast?

Wow Barb, glad you and the family are alright, even if so many of your possessions are not.

Glad everyone's OK. With my luck it would have hit me and only changed my CH to the other side.

Don

Surge protectors don't stop lightning. You need a UPS with Guaranteed lightning protection. As for your data, make sure you do daily backups and at least weekly off site backups.

You must also protect the internet connection so get a UPS with protection of what you use, ethernet, phone or cable. 

A UPS will usually burn up instead of your computer during a lightning strike, but nothing is perfect.

Paul

Glad you're safe. What a terrible mess.

A tad noisey when it knocks on your door, ain't it? Scary things.

Charlie

Barb,

I'm glad you are OK.  Sorry it had to hit, but glad you were out of the house when it did.

Jerry

I got a little ticked at Direct TV - it's gonna be a WEEK before they can get someone out here to fix it. A WEEK!!!

Anyhow Five years of paying for college for Idiot Son FINALLY paid off yesterday. He FIXED the satelite dish and got it working on my TV so I have it back now. The boxes are nuked on the others, but at least I had NCIS last night so I could sleep good.

James did recover a lot of my stuff and I got one thing out yesterday that HAD to be out by Monday. We weren't sure about the printers, but so far they're working.

ONe lesson learned -- I think I WILL learn to back up on the thumbnail a lot more regularly now... (hindsight is so beautiful! :)). A lot of my data is here - I'm just having to FIND it and put it where it belongs.

Oh well, keeps me off the streets..  8-)

Jeepers, Barb, iffen you didn't have bad luck, you wouldn't have no luck at all!