Is it safe to shower during thunderstorms?
Quick Answer
Though the chances of being struck by lightning while taking a shower, during a thunderstorm, are extremely small, lightning that hits a house can travel through metal pipes and shock anyone who touches a faucet. Approximately 10 to 20 people are harmed this way each year in the United States.
Continue Reading
Full Answer
According to the University of Illinois's Lightning Injury Research Program, individuals have been killed washing dishes or sitting in bathtubs during thunderstorms. During thunderstorms, some risks are associated with using the plumbing, such as showering, bathing, washing dishes and brushing teeth. In addition, it is important to stay away from electrical wiring during a thunderstorm and to stay off telephones with landlines, which are the top cause of home-based injuries from lightning.
Learn more about StormsRelated Questions
-
Q:
Does lightning strike up or down?
A: According to the NOAA, the answer is that technically, lightning is a two-way phenomenon. The part that is visible to the naked eye goes from the ground ba... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
Where does lightning originate?
A: Lightning can originate within a thunderstorm cloud and from the cloud to the ground. Intra-cloud lightning is basically a large spark of electricity that ... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
How fast is lightning?
A: A bolt of lightning travels at approximately 224,000 miles per hour or approximately 3,700 miles per second. Lightning is a discharge of static electricity... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What causes red lightning?
A: Red lightning is created by the excitation of nitrogen molecules in the atmosphere. It is produced above the clouds during storms. The red lights produced ... Full Answer >Filed Under:
