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Lightning strike

Lightning struck roof? Check for fire first, then the roof

If lightning struck your roof, check for smoke, a burning smell or crackling, and call 911 if you find any. Even if you find none, call the fire department to check the attic, stay off the roof, and have a roofer inspect for scorching, holes and hidden damage once the storm ends.

By Josh Hildebrand, owner of Coastline Roofing · Florida license CCC1331076 ·

Lightning can start a fire you cannot see and damage a roof that looks fine. Here is what to do, in order.

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Lightning struck roof: what do I do in the first hour?

Check for fire first. If you smell smoke, see flames or hear crackling, get out and call 911. If not, stay inside, stay off the roof and have the fire department look.

A strike can leave a roof looking normal while something is smoldering above the ceiling. Treat the first hour as a fire check, not a roof check.

  1. Look and smell for fire

    Walk the house and look at the ceilings, walls and attic hatch for smoke, hot spots, a burning smell or crackling. If you find any, leave, take everyone with you and call 911.

  2. Call the fire department even if you see nothing

    The National Weather Service tells people to contact the local fire department or emergency management office for building damage and fire response. Ask them to check the attic.

  3. Stay clear of the roof and wiring

    Do not go up to look. OSHA lists falls among the most common causes of serious work injuries and deaths, and a wet roof in a storm is no place to check. Stay away from wet electrical equipment too.

  4. Wait out the storm indoors

    NWS says if you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance. Another bolt can follow. Stay inside, away from corded phones, plumbing and exterior doors until the storm passes.

  5. Photograph and write down what you see

    Record the time, any scorch marks, popped breakers, dead outlets or burn smells. You will want a record when the roofer, electrician and fire crew ask what happened.

Never fight a roof or attic fire yourself

Get out and call 911. Fire crews are trained for it, and you are not.

Lightning hit your roof and you are not sure what it did?

Coastline inspects the roof, vents and flashing and sends a written photo report. If the roof is open, we can tarp it until the repair. Coastline Roofing works all over Florida (license CCC1331076).

Call (941) 896-7793 or text your town and a photo.

What lightning does

What can a lightning strike do to a house and roof?

The bolt can hit the roof, but it can also arrive through wires and pipes. Damage shows up in more places than one.

Intense heat in a tiny spot

NWS says lightning can heat the air it passes through to about 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That heat is the reason a fire crew should check the attic and walls, even when nothing looks burned.

Travel through wiring and plumbing

NWS explains that lightning can reach a home by a direct strike, through wires or pipes that run outside, or through the ground. Inside, it can travel through electrical, phone, plumbing and cable systems, and through metal bars in concrete.

Power surges that hurt electronics

NWS says surges can damage electronics some distance from the strike, and ordinary surge protectors may not stop them. Dead outlets and fried routers are common signs.

Hidden roof damage

A roofer looks for scorch marks, small holes, displaced or cracked roof covering, split wood and damaged vents and flashing. Any opening lets rain in. See hidden storm damage.

Fire inside the attic or walls

Heat that intense can start a fire inside a wall or the attic where you cannot see it. That is why the first hour is about fire, and why the fire department check matters.

Harm to people

NWS reports that lightning kills about 20 people in the United States each year and injures hundreds more. Indoor injuries often come through conduction, from wires, plumbing, outlets and metal in doors or windows.

Where

Why is lightning such a risk in Florida?

Florida has more thunderstorms than any other state, and the Gulf Coast gets them most summer afternoons.

The National Severe Storms Laboratory notes that Florida has the most thunderstorms of any state. The National Weather Service counted 16 lightning deaths in the United States in 2026 as of September 22, and 6 of them were in Florida, more than any other state. The Florida incidents it lists included people on beaches, in the water and on sidewalks.

For homeowners in Manatee and Sarasota counties, that means a roof is struck in some years and not others, but the chance never goes away. NWS counts about 25 million lightning strikes a year in the United States, and says most occur in summer.

If you have a metal roof, we cover that question in do metal roofs attract lightning?. Whatever the roof, what matters after a strike is what runs through the house: wiring, pipes and the attic. NWS notes that lightning can reach a home by a direct strike, through wires or pipes that run outside, or through the ground, so a house can be affected even when the roof shows nothing. A good rule is to treat every strike on or near the house as a reason to check the whole house, not only the roof.

After the storm

How do I check a roof after lightning struck it?

Start with a licensed electrician and the fire department for the house, then a roofer for the roof.

Once the fire crew says the house is safe, three jobs follow. They do not replace each other.

  • Electrician. Have a licensed electrician check the panel, outlets and the meter. Lightning can leave wiring damaged without a visible burn.
  • Roofer. A roofer checks the roof covering, vents, flashing and any metal. Coastline inspects and sends a written photo report, with drone photos on tile roofs, so you can see what was found without going up.
  • Anyone who maintains your electronics. Surge damage can show up later, so test appliances before you assume they are fine.

The roofer looks at the high points and anything that sticks up through the roof, such as vents and metal parts. If the roof is open or a hole is found, a tarp keeps rain out until the repair. Our emergency tarping and storm damage repair pages explain how we handle that.

Small damage on a roof in good shape is usually repaired. The signs you need a new roof guide helps you tell the difference, and the roof repair cost guide explains what sets the price. If the covering is torn or missing, read missing shingles after a storm.

Your insurer and your policy decide what is covered. This is general information, not legal advice.

What the roofer will not do

Coastline does not install lightning protection systems or interpret insurance policies. We check and repair the roof and tell you what we found.

Reviews

What homeowners say about working with Coastline

★★★★★
"Josh was very thorough diagnosing a hard-to-find leak on a tile roof, after 2 other roofing companies tried but failed to catch the problem. ... Great work at a fair price, great service."
Mark R.Leak repair, tile roof
★★★★★
"Loved how Josh used his drone to identify cracked and slipped roof tiles and sent us the photos. Photos also taken of completed work."
Felicity K.Tile roof inspection
★★★★★
"They did a good job on the repair so I would definitely recommend them."
Duke H.Roof repair, Florida Gulf Coast
Keep reading

Related guides

Storm Damage Repair

Repairs after lightning, wind, hail and fallen limbs.

See storm damage repair →

Hidden Storm Damage on Your Roof

What a storm can do that you cannot see from the ground.

Read the guide →

Do Metal Roofs Attract Lightning?

What roof type does and does not change.

Read the guide →

If water is coming in, read what to do until the roofer arrives and my roof is leaking.

FAQ

More questions

Can lightning start a fire in the attic without flames showing?

Yes, it can. NWS says the air a bolt passes through can reach about 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That is why the National Weather Service sends people to the fire department for building damage, and why a fire crew should look at the attic.

Should I go on the roof to look for damage?

No. OSHA lists falls among the most common causes of serious work injuries and deaths, and a roof after a storm is wet and unsafe. Take photos from the ground, then let a roofer inspect, or use drone photos.

Can lightning hurt my electronics even if the roof is fine?

Yes. NWS says surges can damage electronics some distance from the strike, and normal surge protectors may not prevent it. If outlets are dead or devices act strangely after a strike, have an electrician check the wiring.

Does a metal roof make a lightning strike more likely?

Our guide on metal roofs and lightning covers that question. Whatever the roof is made of, wiring and plumbing still need checking after a strike, because NWS says lightning can travel through electrical, plumbing and cable systems.

How long after a storm should I wait to inspect the roof?

Wait until thunder has stopped. NWS says if you can hear thunder you are within striking distance, so go inside and stay there. After the storm clears, get a roofer to inspect, and do not climb up yourself.

Sources

  1. NOAA National Weather Service: Lightning, How People Are Struck
  2. NOAA National Weather Service: Lightning Safety Indoors
  3. NOAA National Weather Service: Understanding Lightning
  4. NOAA National Weather Service: Lightning Safety
  5. NOAA National Weather Service: Lightning Safety Tips and Resources
  6. NOAA National Weather Service: Lightning Fatalities (2026, as of Sept 22)
  7. NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory: Severe Weather 101, Hail (Florida thunderstorm note)
  8. Ready.gov: Thunderstorms and Lightning
  9. OSHA: Fall Protection

Get the roof checked after a strike

After the fire crew and electrician, the roof is the third check. Coastline sends a written photo report and a straight answer on what needs repair.

Call (941) 896-7793 Text (941) 345-0072
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