{"id":40,"date":"2013-06-02T00:33:59","date_gmt":"2013-06-02T00:33:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/montagno.businesslinkct.info\/?p=40"},"modified":"2019-11-18T12:30:02","modified_gmt":"2019-11-18T12:30:02","slug":"lighting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insurancequotesct.com\/lighting\/","title":{"rendered":"Lighting and Homeowners Insurance | Montagno Insurance Agency"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Summer<\/a>!\u00a0 School’s out, the hot and humid weather has arrived, the air conditioning is on; BBQ’s, trips to the beach, and vacations are planned.\u00a0 These are some of the best and most loved things about summer.\u00a0 As with most situations, we must take the bad with the good.\u00a0 What’s not fun about summertime????\u00a0 THUNDERSTORMS<\/a>.\u00a0 They can be accompanied by heavy rains, dangerous lightning, strong winds, hail and even flash flooding.\u00a0 Sometimes, the thunderstorm can come on without much warning, if any, leaving little time to react to the situation.\u00a0 The best course of action is to always be prepared.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n OUR HOMES<\/p>\n Our homes are full off electronics and electrical appliances.\u00a0 It is recommended that the use of surge protectors<\/a> be adopted so that when the power is restored after an outage, the electrical items are protected from a surge.\u00a0 More often than not, the claims we see after a thunderstorm are related to items damaged or destroyed by a power surge; fortunately, we see fewer claims related to direct lightning strikes<\/a>.\u00a0 Surge protectors can help reduce those claim incidents. \u00a0Whenever possible, unplug appliances after use, and leave those that aren’t used regularly unplugged.\u00a0 In areas that have a high probability of lightning strikes, lightning rods can be installed to draw a potential strike away from your home or structure.\u00a0 Lightning strikes can lead to fires; if your home is equipped with a fire alarm, contact your alarm company to see what safeguards can be put into place so that the alarm functionality remains intact.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It is always a good practice to have an emergency plan in place for your home.\u00a0 Discuss it with family members and practice it from time to time.\u00a0 Having an emergency kit is also a good idea.\u00a0 Suggested items to include in the kit are bottled water, dry goods, canned goods, a can opener, a battery-powered radio and batteries, a lantern, and even a deck of cards to pass the time!\u00a0 We recommend making a copy of your homeowner & auto insurance policies with the contact phone numbers for your carrier and agent and keeping them with your kit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n AUTOMOBILES can also be struck by lightning.\u00a0 Whenever possible, park your vehicle in the garage and not under a tree.\u00a0 A direct lightning strike can damage the vehicles electrical system.\u00a0 If you suspect your vehicle has been hit by lightning, have it checked to be sure your systems are functioning properly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Securing and protecting our property is important, but not nearly as important or critical as protecting ourselves from dangerous thunderstorms.\u00a0 You may think that it is common sense, but for our safety it always bears repeating.\u00a0 According to the National Weather Service<\/a> (NWS), an average of 55 people in the United States are killed by lightning strikes every year.\u00a0 Staying inside during a thunderstorm protects us from the elements, but we must exercise safety measures even indoors.\u00a0 Staying away from windows when it is lightning and avoiding running water are important tips to remember.\u00a0 It is also a good idea to refrain from using electrical devices and corded phones.\u00a0 Keep an eye on the storm and seek updated weather reports.\u00a0 If the storm begins to intensify or get more serious, seek shelter in the center of the structure or more preferably in the basement level of the home.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n