Thanks for the advice and comments. As a practical matter unplugging the equipment won't always be effective. I live in a part of the country where thunderstorms are quite common. Realistically, I'm not going to constantly plug and unplug my electronics whenever there's a possibility of a thunderstorm. I'd turn into a Weather Channel junkie watching for the next red area on the radar. Besides, unplugging assumes I'm actually in the house when it's thundering. I recognize that no there are no failsafe solutions, but every little bit helps.
Lightning Protection
I've read on other posts that a whole house arrestor is the best protection against damage from lightning strikes. Can anybody describe what having an arrestor installed would entail? Is this something the power company has to perform, or can any qualified electrician do the work? How expensive is it? How effective is it, or do I have to supplement the arrestor with other safeguards?
Thanks!
Thanks!