John Doe wrote:

Anybody know of a USB flash drive being damaged
during a typical electrical storm or whatever other
common electricity surge? (I'm not talking about a
lightning strike close enough to destroy the whole computer.)

I'm wondering about the possibility that a hard drive and
a USB flash drive could be destroyed at the same time,
given the flash drive is always attached to the USB port,

It can happen if the lightning strike kills the power
supply and massively over voltages the 5V rail.

It would be safer to put the flash drive on a powered USB hub.

and whether that has in fact ever happened.