After a Strike: Illinois Homeowner Lightning Strike Checklist
A lightning strike can be loud, disorienting, and damaging—even when the fire department never shows up. Use this Illinois homeowner lightning strike checklist to move safely from “What just happened?” to fully documented, repaired, and protected.
Step 1 — Safety First After a Lightning Strike
- If you smell smoke, see sparks, or hear crackling: Evacuate immediately and call 911.
- Shut off main power at the breaker only if it’s safe (no smoke/heat at the panel and you’re standing on dry ground).
- Avoid using water until you’ve inspected for leaks; lightning can split pipes and chimneys.
- Stay off the roof and out of the attic until the structure is cleared.
Step 2 — Who to Call After Lightning Damage (Illinois Contacts)
- Fire Department (911) – If there’s any sign of fire or heat in walls/attic.
- Electric Utility – Report outages, line damage, or if the meter base looks burned/loose.
- Licensed Electrician (Illinois) – Perform a whole-home electrical safety check before re-energizing circuits.
- Hamilton Lightning Rods – Post-strike assessment of roof features, bonding, and grounding; guidance for prevention.
- Roofer/Chimney Professional – Inspect shingles, flashing, chimney caps, flues, and masonry.
- Well Contractor (if applicable) – Test well pumps, control boxes, and pressure systems for surge/insulation damage.
- HVAC Contractor – Check condensers, air handlers, heat pumps, and control boards.
- Internet/ISP & Low-Voltage Contractor – Evaluate ONT/cable modem, mesh nodes, alarm, and camera systems.
- Insurance Agent/Carrier – Open a claim and ask about next steps and preferred documentation.
Step 3 — Insurance Documentation: What to Photograph
Create a date-stamped folder on your phone or computer labeled “Lightning Strike – [Address] – [Date]”.
- Exterior overview: Roof, ridges, chimney, gutters, downspouts, antenna/satellite mounts, solar racking.
- Close-ups of damage: Cracked bricks, spalled masonry, missing shingles, scorched marks on siding/soffits.
- Electrical panel & breakers: Any tripped/failed breakers, scorching, melted insulation.
- Electronics & appliances: TVs, computers, routers, smart thermostats, garage openers, refrigerators, washers/dryers, EV chargers.
- Mechanical systems: HVAC units, well pump control boxes, sump pumps.
- Utility interfaces: Meter base, cable/phone demarcation boxes, surge devices (if installed).
- Receipts & serial numbers: Photograph model/serial labels for big-ticket items.
Tip: Shoot wide, medium, and close for each item. Save invoices/estimates as PDFs and keep a simple spreadsheet of losses.
Step 4 — Lightning Damage Triage: What to Test and How
Before turning anything back on, ask a licensed electrician to help with the sequence below.
- Main electrical service – Inspect meter base, mast, service conductors, main lugs, neutral/ground bus.
- Breaker panels & subpanels – Look for heat discoloration, buzzing, or acrid smells. Replace any questionable breakers.
- Branch circuits – Test GFCI/AFCI devices; surge events often weaken them.
- Low-voltage systems – Doorbells, alarms, data cabling can arc; inspect terminations and power injectors.
- Plumbing & gas – Visual check for leaks; lightning can puncture copper or compromise dielectric unions.
Step 5 — Chimney & Attic Inspection After a Lightning Strike
Chimney (masonry or metal):
- Check for cracked crowns, missing or warped caps, loose bricks, separated mortar, split flue liners (use a chimney cam if possible).
- Verify metal chimney caps are bonded to minimize side-flash.
Attic:
- Look for charred rafters, singed insulation, nail pops, daylight through decking, and the smell of ozone or smoke.
- Inspect around dormers, skylights, solar standoffs, and any roof penetrations.
- Keep a fire extinguisher handy while inspecting; embers can smolder.
Step 6 — Electrical Wiring Inspection & Surge Strategy
- Request insulation resistance (megger) tests on suspect branch circuits and critical appliance feeds.
- Replace compromised AFCI/GFCI devices and any melted receptacles/switches.
- Install/verify Type 1 or Type 2 whole-home surge protection at the service equipment.
- Add point-of-use SPDs for A/V racks, networking gear, fridges, garage openers, and well controls.
Step 7 — Well Pump & Water System After Lightning Damage
- Kill power to the well circuit before handling controls.
- Inspect/replace pump control boxes, pressure switches, contactors, and lightning-scarred wiring.
- Test pump megohms-to-ground and run current; surges can partially short windings.
- Flush the system and monitor for tripped breakers or erratic pressure cycling.
Step 8 — Smart Devices & Connected Electronics
- Check routers, modems, mesh nodes, PoE injectors, cameras, smart thermostats, garage hubs, and EVSE.
- Replace damaged power bricks even if devices power up; they can fail later and harm equipment.
- Re-link devices after power is stable; look for intermittent dropouts that signal partial damage.
Step 9 — Filing the Insurance Claim (What Adjusters Like to See)
- Chronology: A brief timeline—sound/flash, outage, odors, first calls, inspections.
- Evidence pack: Photo folder + list of damages with make/model/serial, age, and replacement estimates.
- Professional reports: Electrician, chimney/roofer, well contractor, HVAC tech—each with findings and recommendations.
- Temporary mitigation: Tarps, dehumidifiers, breaker lockouts—show you limited further damage.
- Receipts: Emergency work, diagnostics, replacements. Keep originals.
Ask your agent about coverage for electronics, food spoilage, and code upgrades (ordinance or law) where applicable.
Step 10 — Prevent the Next Loss: Lightning Rods & Grounding
- Lightning protection system (LPS):
- Air terminals on peaks, ridges, gables, and chimneys
- Listed conductors and bonding of metal roof elements, caps, gutters, and rooftop units
- Deep-driven grounding electrodes sized for local soil conditions
- Whole-home surge protection at the service + targeted SPDs at subpanels and critical loads.
- Coordination with roofing/solar/antenna work so the LPS stays continuous after future projects.
- Documentation: Keep drawings, photos, and certificates (e.g., UL/inspection) for your insurer.
Hamilton Lightning Rods provides post-strike assessments, full LPS design/installation, surge planning, and documentation packets that make insurance conversations easier.
Quick-Reference: Lightning Strike Checklist (Print This Section)
- Evacuate for smoke/heat → call 911.
- Call utility, electrician, Hamilton Lightning Rods, roofer/chimney, well contractor, HVAC, ISP, insurer.
- Photograph exterior, chimney, roof, panels/breakers, appliances, electronics, mechanicals, meter/demarc, serial labels.
- Inspect: chimney (cap/crown/flue), attic (char/smoke), wiring (breakers/GFCI/AFCI), well pump, smart devices.
- File claim with photos + professional reports + receipts.
- Install/verify lightning rods, bonding, grounding, and whole-home surge protection.
Need Help in Illinois? Hamilton Lightning Rods Can Guide You
From emergency post-strike assessments to full lightning rod installation and surge protection, we help Illinois homeowners move from uncertainty to confidence—safely and quickly. Contact Hamilton Lightning Rods to schedule an on-site evaluation and get a clear, insurance-ready plan
