Experts: Unplug electronics before the storm

Neal Augenstein, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – With severe thunderstorms expected, there are some ways to protect your home and personal electronic devices.

The easiest and most effective way is to unplug them.

While electricians and home electronics experts normally recommend plugging devices into a power strip with a UL listing rated for surge protecting, that’s not foolproof during powerful storms.

Power surges can occur from lightning strikes or downed power lines, affecting computers, cable modem boxes and telephones.

Charging smartphones also are at risk.

Turning off the device isn’t enough, say the experts. Only unplugging the power strip removes the danger.

Computer experts always recommend backing-up data, and say an impending storm makes it even more important.

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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

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