Hurricanes often make more headlines during the summer and fall, but homeowners are cautioned to not underestimate the destructive and deadly force of thunderstorms.

Such storms occur far more often and directly affect more people and homes in the U.S. than hurricanes.

According to reports, a whole-house or -building surge protector is the best starting point for reducing the risk of lightning damage, along with localized surge protectors for power cords of electronic equipment and any telephone and cable or satellite television lines.

The difference between a surge protector and a power strip is a power strip plugs into a wall outlet and allows for multiple electronic devices to be plugged into it. It won’t protect equipment from damage by a power surge. A surge protector affords the ability to plug in multiple devices and also protects them against surges during a storm.

A licensed electrician or home inspector can review power, telephone, electrical and television connections in homes to make sure the power line connection and power distribution panel are adequately grounded.

Additional tips are available at disastersafety.org.