There are at least 100,000 thunderstorms a year across the United States. Annual property loss is estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas are all high on the list when states are ranked by the amount of lightning they receive. Lightning can send a spectacular power surge along any conductive line and can destroy everything in its path. The most likely scenario is not a direct lightning strike, but rather, a nearby strike.
Lightning usually strikes a close transformer.
If the surge is powerful enough, it travels instantaneously through wiring and telephone lines with the electrical force equivalent of a tidal wave. The surge travels into your computer via the outlet or telephone line. The first casualty is usually a modem or motherboard. Nevertheless, if the surge is powerful enough, the computer chips and entire mechanism can be damaged. The way to protect your computer from lightning and power surges is to use a good surge protector.