On taking a lightning strike and the EMP(Electro Magnetic Pulse)

Or, don’t mess with Mother Nature

About  a decade ago at home, during a thunderstorm, I was using a computer with a CRT monitor.  All of sudden there was a huge loud cracking sound.  In an instant, my CRT monitor was a rainbow of colors. 

Long ago, having experimented with a magnet and a television set, I know that placing a magnet close to a television (CRT) and turning the magnet can produce this same rainbow of colors. 

Some CRTs had a degaussing feature that would remove any significant magnetism from a CRT.  There used to be degaussing loops used to accomplish the same for televisions.  These are also used to erase magnetic tapes.

During that crack of lightning, in addition to creating a rainbow of colors on my computer CRT monitor, I found that a VCR was fried as was my C Crane radio.  The computer continued to work as normal even though it was on during the event.

After this event, not wanting to mess with Mother Nature, I purchased surge protectors, and a UPS for some of my equipment.

However, this was not enough to protect my equipment from a second attempt by Mother Nature to destroy my electronic equipment