It is important to protect valuable electronics from lightning strikes and power surges. YNN's Ryan Peterson provides us with some tips from an electrician.

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It may be the unofficial end to summer this weekend, but that doesn't mean we're out of the woods when it comes to storms and nasty weather. Let's face it, any storm, thunder, or snow has the ability to knock out your power. One electrician tells us what we should do if we know a storm is coming ahead of time in order to protect appliances in our home.

"A good idea is to unplug sensitive electronics. Unplug as many items as you can. Computers, your cable modem box, your telephone, anything that has wires running to the house that could bring a power surge to the home," suggested Rob O'Keefe, electrician.

O'Keefe reminds us that if you don't physically unplug an appliance, and simply just turn it off, it still remains susceptible to power surges.

"Your computer may be off, but a power surge can still happen through the house. A lightning strike or from a utility problem, downed power lines, there could be a transient voltage that will affect the house," explained O'Keefe.

As a homeowner, one of the best things you can do to protect your computer and other valuable electronics from power surges is simple: use a surge protector. As a word of caution though, be sure to read the label.

"There are two types. This is a power strip with a surge protector. There are other types that act as an extension to just plug things in," said O'Keefe. "You want to make sure that you have a power strip with a UL listing that is rated for surge protecting. But its not a guarantee that it will protect your electronics. The best thing to do is unplug items."

Even though your computer, your TV, and your surround system are all wired through a surge protector, they may not be protected. You must unplug that surge protected power strip as well, in order to absolutely guarantee your pricey electronics will not get fried.