MacBook vulnerability to nearby lightning strikes, and consequences…

I had the same thing happen. More or less the same protections too. Nothing can prevent a nearby lightning strike from inflicting essentially limitless damage. If you have the forethought to do so, unplug everything expensive.

Technically a lightning strike is not identical to an EMP but it might as well be — an extremely high electrical field resulting in voltages and current passing through anything in its way.

At the time APC had an equipment damage guarantee. They paid to replace all the equipment their UPS failed to protect, including a brand new iMac. It earned them a customer for life. I don't know if APC still has that guarantee. It's probably not a good idea to have one, because nothing can provide absolute assurance against damage from such enormous energy. I literally heard the building wiring snap in the wall behind me.

alexander.carpenter wrote:

JI have heard that this sort of thing is neither new nor unique in Apple history, and I wonder if Apple takes any responsibility for it. Should Apple do that?

And if we had to poke around in the Macs to figure this out, should that invalidate any AppleCare remedy?

Apple has no liability insurance available against mother nature

Apple Care+ /AppleCareOne will cover a large portion of accidental damage— if you have it.

In or out of warranty you can get a free over the counter 'Apple Service Diagnostics' test /assessment

Make an appointment for a "hardware issue"

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

Outside the USA

Contact Apple Support - Apple Support

I would shutdown an unplug any electronics in any future event.

View Coverage - AppleCare & Warranty

Get your mac repaired and how much will it cost

Product Service and Repair Information - Official Apple Support

Get your Mac ready for service - Apple Support Get your Mac ready for service - Apple Support

see Vintage and Obsolete:

Vintage—Apple will repair if parts are available; Obsolete—no.

Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired warranty - Apple Support

I keep track of approaching thunderstorms and if I observe excessive lightning, I will unplug important electrical gear including Macs, displays, and TV until the storms pass. That is the only surge protection you can bet on.

There isn't an electronic device made that can withstand the massive voltage of a nearby lightning strike. Especially not a computer, which operates on 5v and 12v DC power. It's takes very little to overwhelm the circuitry of a computer.

Not even devices meant to protect your equipment, like a UPS, can always protect what's plugged into it.

I use the RadarScope application on my Mac, i/Pad/OS, and Apple TV to watch active color radar of approaching storms. RadarScope is not a forecast tool and there are other sources for that data.

RadarScope Pro costs me $10 per year and that price has not changed in five years. You can set it to different NWS NEXRAD radar sites. I can even get data from individual storm cells like hail size, wind speed, direction, and rotation if present. It will even show the anticipated arrival time at different vector segments of the storm motion.

More info at the RadarScope support site.

Sample image captured from the Grand Rapids, MI NEXRAD data which is west of me. The red boxes are tornado warnings with one active on the ground…

RadarScope is not limited to the continental U.S., but does not list Costa Rica for coverage. Yeah, that if you want to know what the weather is up to, then just look (or hear) out the window likely does apply on a mountain top. 😉