Do storms stop with April showers? This year, certainly not.

This month saw rain, flash floods, tornado warnings and lightning strikes sweep across Maryland. A historic Catholic church in Dundalk was damaged when some say it got struck by lightning. Lightning strikes to homes and buildings in Montgomery County led to fires.

In 2024, there were at least 55,500 claims filed for damage caused by lightning, according to State Farm and the Insurance Information Institute.

To stay safe, officials recommend you stay inside and avoid using electronics during a thunderstorm, among other tips.

Here’s what to know the next time lightning strikes.

As soon as you hear thunder or see lightning, go under something hard-topped, said Teresa Ann Crisman of Maryland’s Office of the State Fire Marshal. A tree is not going to cut it, she said.

You should also get away from water because it conducts electricity if it gets struck, she said. Electronics plugged into an outlet can also conduct the lightning’s electricity, as well as telephone lines — so, if you have a landline, you should avoid using it during a storm.

If you think your house has been hit by lightning, call 911 immediately, Crisman said. If you feel an impact, even if you don’t see smoke, get out, she added.

“Don’t think it’s not an emergency,” she said.

Once you leave your house, she suggests you get into a car or go to a neighbor’s house.

If someone gets struck by lightning, call 911, she said. If the person just “felt a tingle,” still call 911. “Something could happen later,” she said.

How can I protect myself?

The main thing you can do to protect your house from a lightning strike is to install a lightning rod, Crisman said.

Another way is to insure your home. Damage caused by lightning is covered by most standard homeowners, condo, renters and business insurance policies, said Loretta L. Worters, vice president of media relations for the Insurance Information Institute.

Here’s what insurance usually covers, according to Worters:

• Damage from fire to the house and personal property
• Damage to the house’s electronic wiring
• Surge damage from a lightning strike to electronics and appliances
• Damage from the water used to put out the fire
• Damage from trees falling on your property

Insurance usually doesn’t cover damage from a surge that wasn’t the direct result of a lightning strike, some high-value electronics and landscaping damage that doesn’t directly affect the structure of the home, she said.

She recommends you document everything. That includes keeping receipts of your personal property and taking photos of the damage. She also said you should contact your insurer quickly, because claims from lightning damage often require investigation.

Are storms becoming more frequent?

In short, no.

Late May to July are the most active months for severe thunderstorms, said Chris Strong, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Baltimore-Washington forecast office. But they can happen anytime, he added.

“We always have stretches of severe weather, different times of year, different weeks, different parts of the month,” he said.

The weather service doesn’t issue warnings for lightning because “we’d be doing it all the time in the summertime,” he said. But nature has its own warning system for lightning — thunder.

“Once you hear thunder, it’s time to get inside,” he said.