Assessing the potential for lightning-induced damage in commercial broiler houses in Mississippi and Alabama

Modern broiler houses are expensive to build, maintain, and insure. Protecting them from extreme weather events is a major concern to producers, integrators, and insurance companies. Lightning strikes can cause catastrophic fires and electrical damage and can lead to costly bird losses. A greater understanding of the impact of lightning on the commercial broiler industries of MS and AL is needed. The objectives of this research were collection of baseline resistance data for broiler houses and equipment in both states, and mapping lightning strike densities across MS and AL, evaluating annual, monthly, seasonal, and diurnal patterns. 63.5% of surveyed broiler houses were at or below the recommended 25 Ω (ohms). Ufer grounding resulted in lower resistance ratings than grounding rods. Lightning strike density was elevated in counties near the Gulf Coast, highest during the summer months. Producers should inspect their grounding systems annually to mitigate lightning-induced damage