Major Damage in Less than a Second

A power surge reveals a church’s hidden truth. A typical late-summer storm in Pennsylvania rolled over the Riverside Community Church campus on an otherwise-quiet Sunday afternoon. Earlier, a minimal crew streamed Sunday services and went home. Now, the church was empty. 

Don Greb wasn’t in the area to witness the pop-up thunderstorm. When Greb, Riverside’s business administrator, received an alert on his phone that a network switch had failed, he wasn’t overly concerned. Switches had gone down in the past, and usually were down for a few minutes or so. The system would reset itself. 

By late in the morning the following Monday, the extent of the storm damage was just beginning to unfold. Along with the network switch, employees reported that the sanctuary lights weren’t working. A copier was down. “I wasn’t sure what was going on,” said Greb. “That’s when neighbors told us about the storm the previous day. We started to suspect a lightning strike caused a power surge.” 

A power surge can occur in several ways:

  • Sudden voltage spikes. A direct or indirect lightning strike can destroy electronics and wiring in a flash. 

  • Fluctuations in voltage. These can occur during utility company maintenance or nearby construction. High-power devices, like a commercial refrigerator, can also trigger a fluctuation when powering up or down. Over time, those little voltage pulses can damage electronics.

  • Blackouts and brownouts. Whether a large-scale interruption in power or a reduction of service, both can create a crippling surge once the power is restored.  

A hidden truth

Riverside’s main building spans 15,000 square feet. Greb enlisted employees, volunteers, and electricians to help discover the breadth of the damage. The process involved several days as the team looked at the entire electrical system, including lights, breaker panels, and outlets. But they weren’t prepared for one shocking detail: of the six electrical panels, only two were equipped with surge protectors. “Some of our panels were less than 5 years old,” said Greb. “That we didn’t have them protected from a surge came as a surprise to everyone.” 

Stop the surge

Protecting electrical panels and network switches from a power surge is, in effect, protecting your ability to communicate and operate. Electrical panels are first to receive the main power feed as it passes into a building. Other utilities, like an internet provider, pass their service through a network switch that can then be connected to other electronics like audio-visual-lighting (AVL) equipment. 

Generally, protection comes in two forms: a surge protector that’s mounted to a main electrical panel and an uninterrupted power supply (UPS). A surge protector works like an interrupter. It diverts sudden power surges to a grounding wire before the surge can reach and damage critical equipment. However, a sudden shutdown can still damage sensitive computer equipment.

A better option is to install UPS units on all network switches, along with a main panel surge protector. UPS units protect network switches—they signal your computer systems to power down orderly and safely after an outage. When accompanied with a generator, the UPS unit can keep your systems running until the generator kicks in, often several minutes later, or until you can manually power down affected equipment. A UPS unit also continually protects your systems from those smaller, damaging fluctuations in power. 

Don’t assume. Find out.

With little protection, the lightning strike dealt a heavy blow to Riverside and took several months to resolve the issues. “We had to replace two of our electrical panels, a network switch, and a wiring board on the printer” said Greb. “We also had to replace every light in our sanctuary. Some wouldn’t come on. Some wouldn’t shut off.” Workers then installed surge protectors on the remaining four panels. 

Greb has a tip for churches and religious organizations: Hire a licensed electrician to audit your systems. Ideally, a surge protector or UPS should be installed on all electrical panels and network switches and tailored to your systems’ needs. “The first thing you should check on is your high-end equipment. Don’t assume just because you’ve recently remodeled or a installed new AVL equipment that you’re protected.” 

Related resources

Posted May 24, 2021.

The information provided in this article is intended to be helpful, but it does not constitute legal advice and is not a substitute for the advice from a licensed attorney in your area. We strongly encourage you to regularly consult with a local attorney as part of your risk management program.

2024 Brotherhood Mutual

2024 Brotherhood Mutual