Health
Why Experts Say Skip Showers During Storms
Health Points
- Showering during a thunderstorm puts you at risk of lightning-related injury.
- Lightning can pass through plumbing—even indoors.
- Experts say avoid running water during storms for your safety.
As Hurricane Erin brings storms across much of the country, safety isn’t just about staying indoors. Experts highlight an overlooked danger: showering or using running water during thunderstorms.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cautions that lightning can travel through a home’s plumbing, creating a real hazard for anyone showering, bathing, or washing dishes during a storm.
Most plumbing uses metal pipes, which can conduct electrical current, making it possible for lightning to reach you if it hits your home or nearby. “Lightning is a discharge of electricity. A single stroke of lightning can heat the air around it to 30,000°C (54,000°F),” explains the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). “This extreme heating causes the air to expand explosively fast. The expansion creates a shock wave that turns into a booming sound wave, known as thunder.”
Even if your home’s plumbing is made of plastic, the CDC still advises against running water during storms, as a lower but present risk remains.
The CDC recommends avoiding all water usage during a thunderstorm—including showering, bathing, and hand washing—for safety. Electrical currents from lightning can also travel through wiring or connected appliances.
Each year, lightning strikes around 300 people nationwide, resulting in about 80 deaths according to the National Weather Service. Many injuries are due to heart attacks, but lightning can also cause burns, trauma, and neurological issues.
Staying indoors is safer than being outside, but about one-third of lightning-related injuries happen inside, especially when using plumbing during thunderstorms.
Take care of yourself this storm season by steering clear of water-related activities during thunderstorms. Your safety is just as important indoors as it is outdoors!
