Your system struck by lightning? What did you learn?

After losing a couple of satellite receivers in a row after mere wind storms,
I definitely recommend that all outdoor antennas be surge protected. 
Satellite receivers can blow from static discharge of air blowing across reflector.

These devices are hard to guard properly.  You need a surge/grounding block on the outside, plus a ground isolator on the inside, which has to have power, since you also block DC. The external house ground often causes ground loops internally, which is why I think installers don't bother.

CMOS chips were very susceptible to static, since even small amount of momentary current (in order of 30mA) could create a "Latch-up" where totem pole output (NMOS+PMOS) would become SCR-like structure.  Latch-up would draw current and temperature would eventually kill the chip (matter of minute).   Todays MOS ICs are designed with greater immunity to latch-up, but my first instinct when something is not responding after static zap, would be to turn the power off (to "un-latch").

I have whole house surge protector and good non-sacrificial protection in my Furman Elite 20PFi, but I still unplug during storms or when going on vacation.  There is no protection that can stop direct lightning hit - up to 100 megavolts and up to 30 kiloamperes (according to Wikipedia).

Wasn't struck by lightning, but a raccoon shorted out the incoming power to 220 volts.  The lights flickered and I immediately ran to shut off the house's main breaker.  Went back to the living room and smelled that something in the system fried.  Turned out it was the Monster Power Center I had many other things plugged into.  I got lucky because that was the only thing that was affected.  I bought a better model to replace the one that fried.

Hi Eric, We live on the side of a hill. 10 years age we were struck by lightening at 7:30 PM. I was walking down the stair when I heard a loud SNAP. The lights blinked. In that instant we lost both garage door operators, the telephones, the burglar alarm, the computers and both my Preamplifiers. Both were perpetually on. I went up into the attic and there was no sign of anything. The next day I went outside to find fragments of shingles on the ground out back and looking up on the very ridge of the roof about 10 shingles were standing straight up as if they were at attention. It cost the insurance company $16,000. I had replacement value insurance so I made out like a bandit. The Krell preamp was the most expensive single unit and was out of production. It had a scratchy volume pot that could not be replaced and Dan D'Agostino had no intention to fix it. It was a custom pot that was out of stock. He told me to get a pot from Radio Shack and mount it on top! I am absolutely not kidding! Got my first TacT unit and never looked back.
Sometimes nature looks after you:-)

It had a scratchy volume pot that could not be replaced and Dan D'Agostino

had no intention to fix it. It was a custom pot that was out of stock. He told me to get a pot from Radio Shack and mount it on top! I am absolutely not kidding!

That is the funniest thing I've read all year, thanks @mijostyn !