Northeast Florida logs more than 100 thunderstorm days a year. If you own a home in Duval County — especially on the water, on a ridge, or surrounded by mature oaks — that number is not an abstraction. It shows up as a fried HVAC controller, a dead router, a scorched attic rafter, or worse. The question most Jacksonville homeowners eventually ask is a reasonable one: does my house actually need a lightning protection system, or is a surge strip enough? The answer depends on your home’s specific exposure profile, what’s inside it, and what you’re trying to protect. This guide walks through all of it.
