It is not safe to shower during a thunderstorm since lightning can travel through pipes and plumbing. That means any water-based activities in your home should be avoided, from bathing to washing your hands or cleaning the dishes.
Are you surprised? Although this one sounds like an urban myth or an old wives tale, it’s completely true. Ahead, I’ll talk more about what you should and shouldn’t do during a thunderstorm, as well as whether lightning can penetrate your home.
Can Lightning Penetrate A House?
Whenever there’s an electrical storm on the horizon, you’re always told to seek a safe shelter. And, you would think that the safest place to ride out the storm is in the confines of your own home.
Now, however, you’re going through a particularly bad one. It sounds like the thunder is right over your head and you’ve seen lightning strikes only a few miles away.
Could lightning ever penetrate your home?
If the lightning is that close, then certainly, penetrating a house is a possibility.
When a lightning bolt is trying to reach the ground from the sky, it follows the path of least resistance.
In the process, the electrical current could pass through water pipes and the electrical system. The point of penetration during a direct strike is whatever the tallest thing on your home is, so usually the roof.
What happens when lightning penetrates a house? Well – all sorts of things and none of them good. Let’s go over what to expect now.
Read our related article, Can Lightning Kill You In A Car?
Roof Destruction
When lightning strikes or hits the ground, it expands the air around the ground at such a fast rate that shock waves can result. These shock waves are what will destroy your property, not necessarily the lightning itself.
You could go outside once the storm has passed, only to see that your gutter is hanging by a thread. The shingles might have come loose or even fallen off altogether. Several bricks of the chimney might have become dislodged or some roof tiles could be missing.
Fire
In a very dangerous scenario, the heat of the lightning can lead to flames. That’s especially true if your roof is insulated or if you have roof trusses.
If the roof is on fire, the flames can easily spread to the rest of your home – possibly burning down the whole structure. Even if your home does survive, it would need significant repairs.
Power Surge
Should the lightning get into your electrical wiring, it can lead to power surges that can fry your favorite electronics.
From your washing machine to electrical equipment such as the television, video game consoles, DVD players, and your laptop or computer, they could be gone for good.
Read our related article, What To Do When Camping In A Tent During A Thunderstorm.
How Likely Is It To Get Struck By Lightning In The Shower?
Okay, so you had no idea that lightning can get into your pipes and strike you when showering. That said, you don’t think it will happen to you, especially if you make your shower quick.
You’ll be sure not to even stand under the flow of the water unless you need to rinse off. Surely, the likelihood of being struck by lightning when showering can’t be that high, right?
Not true! Spectrum News 1 in North Carolina published some eye-opening stats for Lightning Safety Week in 2019. According to the news agency, every year, 10 to 20 people will be struck by lightning when showering, using an appliance, or washing their hands.
Granted, out of the more than 331 million United States residents as of 2021, having 10 to 20 people being struck by lightning might not sound like a lot.
Even still, the number is not zero, so lightning strikes when you shower can and do happen.
Why is that? Well, metal plumbing is an excellent conductor of electricity, especially copper and pure silver.
The electrons can travel freely from atom to atom. In a tight space like a metal pipe, all this movement increases energy transference.
Also, water is an electrical conductor as well, including tap water. The impurities in the water and the dissolved ions can generate current in the right conditions.
What happens when you combine two very good conductors of electricity? That’s right – lightning strikes.
Has Anyone Died From Showering During Thunderstorms?
Although I couldn’t find any instances of someone who died from showering during a thunderstorm, lightning deaths regularly occur in the US. The National Weather Service (NWS) is one organization that tracks this information.
According to the NWS, in 2020, 17 US residents died from lightning strikes.
The NWS even mentions the activities the victims did that led to their deaths. Almost everyone was outside in open spaces during a thunderstorm, but don’t let that fool you. Lightning strike deaths can happen indoors.
Looking at the last 10 years of data, here’s how the lightning death rate breaks down for male and female victims:
- 2010: 22 male deaths, 7 female deaths; 29 deaths overall
- 2011: 19 male deaths, 7 female deaths; 26 deaths overall
- 2012: 26 male deaths, 3 female deaths; 29 deaths overall
- 2013: 17 male deaths, 6 female deaths; 23 deaths overall
- 2014: 21 male deaths, 5 female deaths; 26 deaths overall
- 2015: 17 male deaths, 11 female deaths; 28 deaths overall
- 2016: 31 male deaths, 9 female deaths; 40 deaths overall
- 2017: 15 male deaths, 1 female death; 16 deaths overall
- 2018: 17 male deaths, 4 female deaths; 21 deaths overall
- 2019: 15 male deaths, 5 female deaths; 20 deaths overall
- 2020: 13 male deaths, 4 female deaths; 17 deaths overall
Why do males die more frequently of lightning strikes than females? AccuWeather says it’s both behavior and vulnerability.
Men might play off the threat of lightning more often than women do. They may also be in situations where lightning strikes are common at a higher frequency (for example, engaged in outdoor activities during the summer months or doing yard or farm work).
The CDC notes that, compared to women, the lightning strike risk for men is five times greater.
Obviously, not everyone dies from a nearby lightning strike. There are plenty of serious injuries, too.
In 2021, there were a total of 11 fatalities and 69 injuries reported due to lighting in the United States. In the previous year, there were 17 deaths and 53 injuries reported due to lightning nationwide.
Statista.com
Remember, there is no safe place outside during sever weather.
The short answer to avoiding the danger of lightning strikes is to remember the motto of NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: “When thunder roars, go indoors.” And, their new motto, “When you see a flash, dash inside!“
Read our related article, Is It Safe To Be in A Camper During A Lightning Storm.
What Should You Not Do During A Lightning Storm?
Whether you’re a man or woman, you can never be too safe during a lightning storm.
Make sure that you take the following safety measures and avoid these activities until the storm passes.
Don’t Take A Shower
Since lightning can get into your plumbing and metal and water are ultra-conductive, bathing or showering can be disastrous, as I’ve proven throughout this article.
I thought it bore repeating one more time that you should skip the shower for the time being, though.
Do Not Use Faucets
It’s not only your shower head that lightning can emerge from; you can get struck if you are using any faucets in the home. During a thunderstorm, is not a time to wash dishes because the power is out.
You should even refrain from washing your hands with soap and water. If you must clean your hands, use some hand sanitizer until the storm has passed. It’s not as effective, but it’s better than nothing.
Please Don’t Leave Your Pets Outside
Since your pets are lower to the ground in your backyard, they’re not the first target of lightning. That’s different if your cat or dog is in a wide-open space though.
Even if their risk of being struck by lightning is not as high, it’s still cruel to leave your pets outdoors during a thunderstorm. They’re going to be freaked out by the thunder and lightning.
Please bring them in before the storm gets bad so you’re not in danger either!
Don’t Stand By Doors Or Windows
If lightning has penetrated your home or is mere miles away, get as far from the doors and windows as you can.
The lightning can pass through metal and you can get struck while watching the storm.
Do Not Use Electronic Equipment Attached To An Outlet
Any device that’s plugged into an electrical outlet poses a health and safety risk if you operate it during a storm. That includes laptops, computers, video game consoles, TVs, radios, stoves, washers, and dryers.
I’d recommend unplugging your consoles and computers so they don’t suffer a power surge during the storm.
If your phone or tablet is not plugged in, then it’s safe to use during a thunderstorm.
Don’t Call Someone On A Landline, Corded Phone
You shouldn’t call anyone on a corded phone during a lightning storm.
As you should recall, lightning can course through electrical wires. That includes the wires that attach to your corded phone.
Cordless household phones and smartphones aren’t safe to use during severe weather.
According to MythResults.com, the old Mythbusters show (episode 30:Son of a Gun, March 30, 2005) confirmed that “A person can be electrocuted by talking on the phone during a lightning storm.”
Stay Away From Concrete
What does concrete have to do with conducting lightning? Although you can’t see it, concrete has metal bars and wires inside, so stay away from all concrete walls and surfaces during a thunderstorm.
That means hiding in your basement during a storm is one of the worst things you can do.
How do you know a thunderstorm is over?
If you can count five seconds (using the one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi counting method) and you don’t see lightning, then the storm is at least one mile from your home. The further away, the safer you are.
Final Thoughts
Showering during a thunderstorm is not advisable. Although no one has specifically died from shower-related lightning strikes, at least 10 people die from being hit by lightning every year. Stay safe!
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