Thunderstorm: how to protect your electronics

Unplug before the storm, not during it.

The answer in 2 lines. Lightning can send a surge into your home through the power line, the phone or internet line and the cable or antenna wire. Before a storm arrives, unplug sensitive electronics, router and modem included. Once it's thundering, stay away from corded devices, plugged-in electronics, and plumbing: the National Weather Service says not to touch them during a storm. For lasting protection, an electrician can install a whole-home surge protector at your panel, combined with good plug-in surge protectors.

The first 3 steps

Before the storm, unplug the TV, computer, game console, router and modem, including cable and phone lines if you can.
During the storm, stay off corded phones and away from plugged-in devices, showers and sinks.
After, plug devices back in one at a time and note what doesn't work.

Stop: danger

During a storm, don't unplug or touch plugged-in devices or outlets: wait until it has passed.
Burning smell or smoke after a strike: if you can do it safely, turn off the main breaker, get out and call 911. A strike can start a fire inside the walls.
Outdoors: "When thunder roars, go indoors." No place outside is safe during a thunderstorm.

Which protection does what

Unplugging before the storm: full protection for what's unplugged, but you have to do it in time.
Plug-in surge protector: protects what's plugged into it; it needs a grounded (three-prong) outlet to work, and it wears out after big surges.
Whole-home surge protector installed at the panel by a licensed electrician: protects the whole home from surges on the power line. Since its 2020 edition, the National Electrical Code requires one when a home's electrical service is installed or replaced, but only where your state or city has adopted that edition.
No device can protect against a direct lightning strike to the house.

What not to do

Counting on a surge protector plugged into a two-prong, ungrounded outlet.
Forgetting the router and modem: surges often come in through the internet or cable line.
Keeping a surge protector whose "protected" light is off: replace it.
Confusing a power strip with a surge protector: many cheap strips offer no surge protection.

After the storm: insurance

Damage from a lightning strike is usually covered by homeowners and renters policies, minus the deductible. Keep the damaged devices, take photos, and ask a repair shop for a written diagnosis. Damage from a power surge caused by the utility is a separate question: ask your insurer and your utility.

Good to know

If you can hear thunder, you're close enough to be struck. The National Weather Service advises waiting 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back outside.
Surge protectors have a joule rating: higher means more capacity, but they still wear out.
Keep a charged power bank so you don't need to plug in a phone during a storm.

Last summer in San Antonio, a storm fried Chloe's router and TV. Her insurer covered them after she sent photos and a repair shop's note. This year she had an electrician add a surge protector at the panel, and she unplugs the router when a storm is forecast.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on October 18, 2026, for the United States. Confidence: high for the indoor lightning-safety advice and the paths a surge can take; medium for the National Electrical Code requirement, which depends on the code edition your area has adopted. This guide describes common cases, not a diagnosis.