The house got zapped a couple of weeks ago. We lost a TV, several cable boxes. cable modem and router immediately. Weird thing though, the laptop that I rip CDs on started to misbehave and after a few days lost all connectivity with USB 2.0 devices. Still talks to USB 3.0 but is a little squirrely. Now my music server is a little bit screwy, requiring me to reboot it almost every day. I read somewhere on the internet (so you know that it is true) that the static charge damages computers on a micro level if it is not just outright destroyed and that as the machine warms and cools the damage becomes worse do to physical breakdown of traces on the boards. This causes behavior to become more erratic as time goes by. Any thoughts or opinions on this? DS DAC is acting funny. I lose control over the volume with both my control point and the infrared remote. Fixing this requires a DS reboot.
Micro traumas.
It could be true, although in my experience electronics subjected to a house lightning strike either work or not.
Be sure to check your GFCI’s, as well as your main box. Lightning does weird stuff.
Will do.
Bummer. I hope your home owners insurance covers the damage. Including to the music server if it was in fact damaged (and sounds like it may well have been).
We all should have an inventory of our equipment complete with invoices and photos on file with our insurance agent and or insurance company with assurance that it is covered. Imagine trying to convince an insurance adjuster that a one meter piece of wire is worth $1000.00.
Failures from ESD damage can happen well after the incident. Back in the '80s I was working for Cray and they researched ways of reducing system failures in the field. They implemented several new protocols in manufacturing, but the one that had the greatest impact by far was tight ESD control measures. Once this policy was in place, NO part was handled without proper ESD measures. After this, equipment failures dropped dramatically. As I remember it, mean time to failure more than quadrupled. Oh, and this was with chips that were NOT static sensitive!
Yes, a lightning strike or any similar high energy electric discharge event can induce damage and cause eventual failure a day, weeks, months down the road. At times I find it amazing that electronics last as long as they do.
J.P.
Oh, and if you’re concerned your new speaker cables may have been damaged I would be happy to test them for you. Could take a while since, as noted by JP, it can take some time for the damage to become noticeable.
haxter1 said Imagine trying to convince an insurance adjuster that a one meter piece of wire is worth $1000.00.I have made claims after lightning and burglary. I have had no issues with adjusters and high end audio, musical instruments, etc. They have always found it rather fascinating and have treated me exceedingly well.
All good info guys. And no, the speaker cables were still being horded by one of my best friends at the time! 
Niiiice try though
wglenn said And no, the speaker cables were still being horded by one of my best friends at the time!
He’s no longer your best friend? 
Can’t blame a guy for trying.
Nice catch on the ambiguous syntax Ted.
@pmc7027, I’d been wondering about this. In your cases where claims were made, was the damaged equipment previously known and documented by your insurance company? IOW was it itemized on your insurance contract as material of a certain value?
No, it was not listed or called out in an endorsement.
Wow, and it was covered. That’s great.
Unless called out as explicitly excluded, like firearms, your home owners’ policy covers your personal items, whatever they are. They only trick is to have some sort of proof - receipts, manuals, photographs, etc.