What's your policy

[TechHead87]

What are YOUR personal procedures when lightning in the area?

I turn the power off, the PSU power switch off, and unplug the power cable from the PSU, then I turn off the surge protector.

What do you do?

 

[KoolDrew]

I just unplug the power cable.

 

[TechHead87]

We got a big lightning storm here a few hours ago, but I was asleep when it came through. I didn't hesitate to power down/unplug everything.

 

[twitchee2]

i dont have lighting here.....socal but this is good advice for when we do i didnt relise lighting can do so much damage if any

 

[theMan]

it depends on how serious it is. one time, i unplugged everything, and then unplugged my surge protector, then turned off the circuit to my room in the basement. i usually just shut down and unplug. one time, there was a storm, and i didnt notice, and suddenly my monitor got SUPER bright. it scared the $h!t out of me, but everything was ok.

 

[CheesePoofs]

If it strikes really close I'll probably shut down my computer, maybe unplug it, but most of the time I just leave it on and work throught the lightning. I've got a nice surge protector, so I see no need to worry.

 

[Loop2kil]

i unplug nothing and just hope my ups does its job

 

[Kogan]

I sit around browsing the web and laugh at my wife everytime she jumps when there's some loud thunder

Fortunately I've never experienced any power surges that blew up anything, so I don't worry about it. My mother though, had about 3 television sets blow up when lightning hit the antenna on her house. She likes to unplug things and I do believe she unplugged her Tv's from the power outlets that day, but I guess she didn't realize electricity can go through cable wires too.

I'm in Pensacola Florida and there's a lot of big loud lightning storms around here. I lived in Seattle for a few years and never had any there..

 

[Crusty]

I double check that all my battery backups are working. With no power, I can use my computer/home theater/network/internet for a good 30 minutes without running out of power.

 

[dnuggett]

Originally posted by: CheesePoofs
If it strikes really close I'll probably shut down my computer, maybe unplug it, but most of the time I just leave it on and work throught the lightning. I've got a nice surge protector, so I see no need to worry.

Ditto

 

[Slogun]

What do I do?
I make sure I don't stand under any trees.

 

[Insomniak]

Keep playing, because that asshole that just killed me was cheap about it.

 

[SynthDude2001]

I generally just keep using the computer - the worst that *should* happen is power suddenly going out, and I don't care too much about that. I suppose it is remotely possible that a surge could come in through the cable (to my HDTV tuner) or Ethernet (from the router and cable modem), but eh...I don't really think about it, we don't often get thunderstorms with lightning here, at least not lately anyway.

 

[corkyg]

Most of you don't have a clue as to what can happen with lightning. I live in the lightning capital of the Southwest - Tucson. I have taken a direct hit - it didn't hurt any computers because they were unplugged - same to the UPS's. (They cannot block a direct hit.) I lost my entire security system panel - about $1200 bucks worth..

As soon as I hear boomers within 3-5 miles, I power down and unplug - and disconnect the cable from the modem.

 

[Safeway]

I leave everything on.

 

[bob4432]

in phx, az where i am we get some wicked lightning storms, tons of cloud to ground stuff but having lived here my whole life i really don't do anything as the chances of getting hit are pretty low.

a lot of golfer get nailed every year here though as they will play in it, either being a transplant and not knowing how bad it get or the heat got to them. i guess being the tallest item on the golf course with a metal rod and shoes with metal spikes going into the ground make a good grouding rod...

 

[Continuity27]

I turn everything on in the house and hop in the bathtub installed on the roof.

 

[Jeff7]

I don't unplug anything, because if I did, it'd have to be EVERYTHING, and that means a lot of stuff. For one, there are 4 PCs here, all networked. So, they're all nicely electrically connected. What would need to be disconnected, and reconnected with each storm:

- TV cable from the TV tuners of 3 PCs
- TV cable from the cable modem
- 3 UPSes for 3 PCs
- 1 UPS for the cable modem and the network switch
- 1 surge protector for one PC
- 1 surge protector for the TV cable signal booster
- Telephone line to two PCs

There, I think that's everything. Just a wee bit of a problem. I do hope nothing happens, and I hope that insurance can cover losses, because if there are to be any losses, there'd be a lot of them, not just in the computer arena.

Oddly enough, a number of years ago, lightning did strike the power pole near the street that feeds right to the house. Blew up the transformer and wrecked the top of the pole. I don't think we got any damage to anything. Crazy. That was the only time in all the years spent living here (almost 20yrs now) that lightning struck the ground even remotely close to the house.

Originally posted by: Continuity27
I turn everything on in the house and hop in the bathtub installed on the roof.

Don't forget your aluminum foil umbrella!

 

[mechBgon]

What's your policy when lightning is in your area?

Get out the digital camera and set up time-lapse photos!

Ok ok... if it's looking serious, I unplug the power and modem cable and see if I have any frozen pizza to tide me over.

 

[beverage]

i'm sure the frozen pizza tastes great when the electricity goes out half way through cooking it.

 

[SonicIce]

Originally posted by: mechBgon

What's your policy when lightning is in your area?

Get out the digital camera and set up time-lapse photos!

Ok ok... if it's looking serious, I unplug the power and modem cable and see if I have any frozen pizza to tide me over.

you eat pizza frozen? :Q

 

[DerelictDev]

I put the tv, stereo, any other electronic components in my room on.

... Really i could care less. I just leave everything as it is.

 

[T9D]

Nothing.

I just keep going about my business doing what I was doing and leave everything on. I'm not going to sit around bored out of my mind!

 

[TankGuys]

Originally posted by: Continuity27
I turn everything on in the house and hop in the bathtub installed on the roof.

I have to admit, that's pretty funny.

 

[randumb]

Originally posted by: Continuity27
I turn everything on in the house and hop in the bathtub installed on the roof.

you forgot to mount the bathtub on a lightning pole