Lightning can travel through plumbing so you shouldn’t shower or wash your hands or the dishes during a thunderstorm. Lightning causes electric currents along the top of the ground that can be deadly more than 100 feet away. About 180 people per year are injured by lightning, and 10% of people struck by lightning die each year. Florida and Texas have the largest number of lightning-related deaths, the CDC added.”It is best to avoid any contact with plumbing and running water during a lightning storm to reduce your risk of being struck,” the CDC said. “If there are no safe shelters in sight, crouch down in a ball-like position, put your feet together, squat low, tuck your head and cover your ears,” it added. “Seek safe shelter is a last resort,” the weather service said, “but remember, remember, Seek safe shelter first” and never lie on the ground. “There is no such thing as being under a tall tree,” the National Weather Service said, adding that it’s better to be in a safe location with a roof over your head. “The risk of lightning traveling through plumbing might be less with plastic pipes than with metal pipes,” it said, but “the risk is still higher” with metal. “Do not use anything connected to an electrical outlet, such as computers or other electronic equipment,” the agency said, and “NOT lie down on concrete floors or lean against concrete walls” and “stay off corded phones” in a storm. “Count the number of seconds between the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder, and then divide by 5,” with five seconds equaling 1 mile, 15 secondsequaling 3 miles, and zero seconds very close, the weather Service said. The air around a lightning bolt can be as high “as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun,” the service said. A thunderclap happens when lightning strikes, heating the air around the bolt to as high as 50,00 degrees Fahrenheit. “This rapid expansion and contraction (create) the sound wave that we hear as thunder,” the Weather Service says. “It is a very dangerous time to be outside in a thunderstorms,” it adds. “No place outside is safe,” it warned. “Be aware of your surroundings,” it advised, “and be aware of the wind and rain.” “If you are caught outside, do not lie on your back,” it told people. “You are not going to be able to get away from the storm,” it cautioned. “Get out of the way of the storm and get out of harm’s way.” “Be prepared for the possibility that you may be struck by a bolt of lightning,” the NWS advised. “Don’t wait for the storm to pass you by. Be prepared for it to strike you in a few minutes,” it urged. “Take action now,” it suggested. “Plan for the possible dangers of lightning in the future”
A thunderstorm is a dangerous time to take a shower. Here’s why. By Corey Charlton, CNN
