Yeah, seeing all that damaged electronics is no joke. A client of mine had a nearby strike fry their brand new AC unit and garage door opener in one go (the repair bills were insane). Now I won't even hook up a panel without putting one in first. It's just cheap insurance compared to replacing a fridge or a TV.
Man that's brutal, a brand new AC unit too. How often does that kind of thing actually happen where a nearby strike gets you? It really is scary how much we have plugged in now, everything's a computer. You're totally right, it's like the cheapest possible fix compared to what it can save.