The circuit you're describing has a GFCI on it - ground fault circuit interrupter. It's a mini fuse in the circuit, basically, and it shorts if anything goes wrong. That means you've got two possible areas (at least) to consider: the GFCI could be bad, or the breaker could be bad.
Thinking about it, here's what I'd check (in no particular order).
1. Using a circuit tester (three-pronged plug that tells you if the circuit is wired properly), check every outlet and every plug. If something got shorted somewhere, that may identify it.
2. Trip and reset the GFCI on each circuit.
3. Call an electrician and have him do this while he's hooking up the whole house surge supressor [img]smile.gif[/img]
Number 3 is usually my preferred choice... at my last house, I had an electrician come in because something was misbehaving. Turned out it was misbehaving because of something I'd done incorrectly. I had him recheck everything I'd done... every single thing was not right [img]smile.gif[/img] I was oh-for-it-all. Since then, I bypass my limited knowledge and head for someone who enjoys playing with electricity.
You may be able to get your homeowner's insurance to cover it, since it's likely related to the lightning strike. Just try to make sure you've got everything identified so you don't run in to multiple deductibles
