Lightning Strike Via Internet Cable Destroys Home PC and Router in Texas Apartment

• June 5, 2026

In a rare but powerful incident, a lightning strike managed to enter an apartment in Texas through an internet cable, resulting in substantial damage to home network equipment and a personal computer. The event highlights unforeseen risks for residential technology setups amidst severe weather conditions.

Lightning Exploits Network Cable to Cause Electrical Damage

The resident of a multi-unit building in Texas shared their experience on Reddit, describing how lightning transformed a simple internet connection into a conduit for thousands of volts of electrical energy. The unforeseen surge traveled through the internet cable and into their apartment, delivering a destructive blow to both their router and the motherboard of their desktop PC.

This form of electrical intrusion is particularly concerning because internet cables are typically not considered primary pathways for lightning strikes. The high voltage transmitted through the cable was enough to disable critical components of home networking and computing devices, underscoring a vulnerability in common household technology infrastructure.

The resident reported the router and PC motherboard rendered completely inoperative. Such damage illustrates the potent force that electrical surges carried via telecommunications lines can have, often causing more damage than direct hits to electrical wiring due to the unshielded nature of these data cables.

Experts frequently advise the use of surge protectors for electronic devices, but this incident suggests that additional precautions may be necessary to safeguard against lightning strikes affecting internet and network lines. Grounding and specialized surge protection devices designed for coaxial and Ethernet cables can help mitigate these risks, especially in areas prone to thunderstorms.

While power line surges are commonly accounted for in home electrical safety measures, this case serves as a cautionary tale for users to consider the full scope of potential pathways lightning and other electrical surges might exploit.

As the impact demonstrates, lightning can compromise household technology through more channels than just power sockets, creating new challenges for protecting increasingly connected homes.

A lightning strike traveled through an internet cable, causing severe damage to a resident’s PC and router in a Texas apartment.