It is possible to capture the occurrence of a voltage surge. Some surge arresters are equipped with "surge counters" that capture the fact that the arrester has discharged current. It is also possible to use other phenomena (sound measurement, light measurement, electric field measurement, etc.) to capture the occurrence of a discharge. Meteorologists routinely capture and record lightning discharges using both ground-based and satellite-based instruments.
http://www.jnearrester.com/metal-oxide-varistor/