Beyond the bolt: the full lightning story doesn’t always strike the ground
Traditional lightning reports often miss the 80% of activity that occurs cloud-to-cloud, leaving a gap in complex electronic loss investigations. EFI Global is bridging this gap by being the first to integrate Cotality’s cloud-to-cloud reporting into their forensic process. This overview explores how combining technical forensic wisdom with advanced atmospheric data provides property insurance leaders with the absolute clarity needed to resolve modern claims.
The true story of a loss is rarely found in a single data point: it is revealed through a careful, methodical examination of the physical evidence. When a storm passes and a home is left with silent smart systems or compromised electronics, the insured often looks to the sky for a direct strike. As forensic engineers, we look closer. We look at electrical wiring, circuit boards, and the specific signatures of failure that tell us exactly how energy moved through a structure.
For years, EFI Global has relied on the precision of lightning reports provided by CotalityTM (formerly CoreLogicR) to help frame the environment of a loss. Their reporting has long been a benchmark for our industry, and today, that partnership is evolving. We are proud to be the first forensic firm to integrate their new cloud-to-cloud lightning reporting into our investigative process.
The science of the unseen
Traditional lightning reports are designed to capture cloud-to-ground (CG) strikes, the visible bolts that physically anchor to the earth. However, science confirms that 70 to 80 percent of lightning activity occurs entirely within the clouds. These cloud-to-cloud events do not send a physical bolt into a building, but they generate rapidly changing electro magnetic fields.
While a heavy appliance generally requires the raw, brute force of a direct strike or a utility-side surge to fail, these cloud-to-cloud events can induce subtle surges into sensitive data lines and interconnected systems. It is a nuance of modern loss that requires a high degree of technical sophistication to interpret correctly.
Data as context, engineering as proof
There is a vital distinction to be made in how we use this new information. An engineer does not need a report to determine the cause of a failure: our conclusions are born from the pattern of damage. We analyze melting, arcing, and component degradation to differentiate between a lightning event, an on-premise surge, or simple wear and tear.
The Cotality cloud to cloud report is not the reason we determine a loss was caused by lightning; rather, it is the corroborating evidence that supports our physical findings. By incorporating this data, we ensure that no stone is left unturned and no variable is ignored. It represents our commitment to using every available tool to provide adjusters and their insureds with absolute clarity.
Leading the evolution of investigation
As our homes and businesses become increasingly complex, the tools we use to protect them must keep pace. We are excited to leverage this new layer of data from Cotality to bring even greater depth to our forensic analysis. It is one more way EFI Global continues to combine technical wisdom with the latest innovations to solve the industry’s most challenging claims.
If you are navigating a complex electronic loss and need more than just a data point, let's discuss how our forensic team can bring the full picture into focus.
