The metal chimney at a residence was struck by lightning during a severe thunderstorm. Major damage ensued.
A severe lightning strike hit a steel chimney cap and passed into a house in the North Texas area. Lightning entered the house through the metal chimney and was carried along corrugated steel gas tubing (CSST), copper electrical wiring, copper water piping, and the wooden structure itself.
The concussion broke gypsum drywall panels, burned electrical wiring insulation, damaged copper water piping, and melted multiple feet of CSST gas tubing. Minor fires occurred in the house but were extinguished before the house suffered major fire damage. Essentially all electrical and electronic devices in the house were damaged beyond repair. Two quarter-size holes were melted in the chimney cap. This was an early example of the dangers of lightning strike damage to a house utilizing CSST gas tubing. Haag engineers were called in to assess the complete scope of damage.
