I have a summer home and my house checker just called with an electrical issue. After she switched on a light, within a minute it burned out, this went for a few lights... my 3 bulb fixture had one at a time go, all within a minute. The fridge is dead as well as the microwave(had her check that at her house... it's toast!) which means my furnace and water heater are probably fried. The only thing noticed lately was huge electrical storms in the neighborhood, and the house could have likely gotten hit by lightning. Could that cause "after the fact" damage, like my neutral has been knocked out?

Yes, sounds like anopen neutral problem.

Best to call in an electrician to check out your electrical system.

Yes it could. Have the local utility come over and check the incoming lines, the meter base and the breaker box. Your Homeowners Insurance should cover the loss, after duductible, if the utility determines that lightning is the DIRECT cause, usually signs of fire or burning from arcing. If your house does not show direct damage, they may reduce the amount paid due to a power surge unrelated to your house. Read your policy and by all means contact your insurance company since you are looking at a pretty high cost of repair. You should also have an electrician look at your internal house wiring