I have had a few people ask recently about what to do with electronic equipment in electrical storms.
There is a common misconception that a surge protector stops damage from lightning , it wont. A surge protector will most likely protect your equipment from a surge if a powerline is hit but if there is a strike near you then the charge will literally jump over the protector , but that would be a direct or V near strike . The other thing people forget is that you also need to have modem . phone line and ethernet also in the protector or that’s just a nice bit of copper that goes directly into your machine and will conduct a surge into your device .
The second thing is that static is a real problem and actually more of a risk than a power surge or direct strike in this country . A pc with a mechanical hard disk stands a low chance of data loss but some risk of being damaged , a pad or phone on the other hand can be permanently damaged by a strong static shock .
The only safe option is to unplug any power and move the plug away from the socket ( electricity can jump from a conductor to a conductor) . Switch off ( not standby ) pads and phones , and unplug landlines .
BUT this is the ultra safe option . If you use a surge protector in this country and your ethernet / modem is also plugged through it then you are likely to be fine , direct strikes or even near strikes are rare . It is still best to switch off ( remember OFF not standby or sleep) any pad, laptop, mobile or e-reader until the storm passes . Also only use your landline for emergencies whilst its raging .