On Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:02:43 -0800 (PST), BobK207
wrote:

You don't need a lightning storm to be hit by lightning. *Any neighbors
have same problems?

Homes mostly sporadically occupied, none on the same transformer are
here...

my closet thing to an "effected neighbor" is the cable company guy &
their blown equipment.

cheers
Bob

I don't have an answer as I'm a DIY er.

Did your area experience a "brownout"? A drop in power and a sudden
surge of power.

..."A brownout is a temporary interruption of power service in which
the electric power is reduced, rather than being cut as is the case
with a blackout. Lights may flicker and dim during a brownout, and the
event also often wreaks havoc with electrical appliances such as
computers. One could consider a brownout the opposite of a power
surge, an electrical event in which a sudden burst of power enters the
system."

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-brownout.htm