COST OF A STRIKE Realistic numbers show that damage in the U.S. exceeds $7 billion per year. It is estimated that lightning accounts for 61% of all accidents in storage and processing activities, where natural events are identified as the root cause of the incidents. In North America, 16 out of 20 accidents involving petroleum products storage tanks were as a result of lightning strikes.
PETROCHEMICAL DOWNSTREAM COSTS $420,000,000 — Plant loss in Texas $52,000,000 — Plant loss in Oklahoma $52,000,000 — Plant loss in Virginia Source: Willis Energy Market Review, 12/13 STORAGE & PROCESSING ACTIVITIES 61% — Incidents caused by lighting. 80% — Incidents involving petroleum products storage tanks attributed to lightning strikes. Source: Journal of Hazardous Materials 30% — U.S. businesses damaged by lightning. Source: Carnegie Mellon Report ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE 35% — Annual lightning related power outages exceeding $1 Billion in losses. Source: Ralph Bernstein, EPRI 19% — Nuclear power plant safety activations initiated by lightning. Source: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. MARINE #3 — On the list of highest average dollar amount of insurance claims.
FIRES 12,000 — Number of lightning initiated wild fires - per year - over a 7 year study. Source: National Inter-agency Fire Center 2007 18% of all lumber yard fires and 30% of all church fires are caused by lightning. Source: Ohio Insurance Institute. 31,000+ — U.S. Fire Departments’ annual response rate to fires caused by lightning resulting in $214M in property damage. Source: NFPA 2008 INSURANCE LOSSES $1.065B+ — Cost of homeowner claims in 2008 attributed to light strikes. Source: Insurance Information Institute. $5 Billion+ — Total insurance losses due to lightning strikes reported in 2006. Source: TMCNet Newsletter, 2006 MINING 7 Weeks — Production shutdown to a Tennessee mining operation when a smelter pot line is ‘frozen’ by a lightning induced electrical outage. Production is shut down for 7 weeks. (2007) 12 — Miners killed, 2005 West Virginia, when lighting strike results in a methane gas explosion.
Percunos, LLC 14908 Walker Road • Conroe TX 77302 832-838-4485 • 888-878-4589 • info@percunos.com
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