Lightning is real. And it needs to be respected.

We had a Parish Priest that was struck by lightning while on the toilet. It sounds giggly and all but he died.

Anonymous wrote:Yep. It's why I didn't bathe my kids last night and will tonight instead. It's a small risk, but skipping a bath is no-risk.

Not if you have tweens/teens.

Anonymous wrote:It's not just the south, I grew up in PA and my parents did the no-shower, no-bath, no-phone drill during thunderstorms. We used to unplug the TV for really bad storms, too. (Fwiw, one parent with an ivy PhD.)

Ditto on everything except the ivy PhD part.

yes

If the roof collapses from heavy rainfall, leaving a hole through which lightening can strike, you're doomed if you're surrounded by water.

Anonymous wrote:I had heard this rule - though don't really follow it. But I am unclear how this could happen with modern plumbing since most of it is PVC. Can the water alone in the pipes conduct the electricity sufficiently? Also in e.g. a one-story house (i.e. where I live) where the pipes are basically in the basement/ground, it is unclear how the mechanics of this would work.

You must not have seen much plumbing......most of the 'exit' piping is PVC pipe but the incoming pipes are usually metal. Look under the sink.

I had heard this rule - though don't really follow it. But I am unclear how this could happen with modern plumbing since most of it is PVC. Can the water alone in the pipes conduct the electricity sufficiently? Also in e.g. a one-story house (i.e. where I live) where the pipes are basically in the basement/ground, it is unclear how the mechanics of this would work.

"The chance of getting struck by lightning . . . "

- ok, so statistically it's highly unlikely, but as far as your house & plumbing system: it's entirely possible.

And the risk of injury is completely and easily avoidable. It won't kill you to put off a shower or bath for 15 minutes. Sheesh.

I grew up in the midwest and had never heard that, but I recently moved to an area where we get more intense and unpredictable storms, and after a major hail storm where we lost 8 windows and had to have a full roof replacement, I was doing a little research on storm/lightning safety.

I was shocked to find the recommendation not to shower/bathe while there is lightning. I read more, and yes - that is a risk, although likely tiny, it is a real risk. I had never heard it but it was through reputable sources I was reading that recommendation.

I was also surprised to find the recommendation to have helmets as part of your tornado prep -- but makes a ton of sense.

Yikes - no showers and don't go on the beach.

http://www.katc.com/story/32583429/5-year-old-dies-after-being-struck-by-lightening

It's not just the south, I grew up in PA and my parents did the no-shower, no-bath, no-phone drill during thunderstorms. We used to unplug the TV for really bad storms, too. (Fwiw, one parent with an ivy PhD.)

No corded phones, baths, showers, or handwashing anything during lightning storms. Our house once was hit, and ball lightning came through the electrical outlet in the kitchen--looked like floating blue spheres that went all the way through into the family room and dissipated. Scared the $#*& out of us all.

I'm often shocked by the ignorance of people who stay outside on screened porches or decks during storms. Unsafe.

During bad storms we go into the basement, into an interior room. It's not like they last that long, and nobody wants to be crushed by a tree anyway.

Anonymous wrote:So funny, my mom used to say the same thing. Here comes a storm, get off the phone, turn off the tv, get out of the shower. No idea why.

Did you take 39 seconds to read the links upthread?

I was told this as a child, I grew up in the south. I was also told not to talk on the cordless phone during a thunderstorm either, that I could get shocked.

My parents both have their PhDs so they are well educated.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:lol, I love dumb people until I get scared of them.

Exactly who is dumb here?

I love how all the arrogant know-it-alls immediately began calling the person "stupid."

How do you all live with yourselves knowing what smug, arrogant, self-righteous, a-holes you are?

Look - the first two posters who responded to the OP brought it on themselves because they called the neighbor dumb for not showering during a storm. If those posters had only kept their fingers off the keyboard and not insulted the intelligence of the neighbor, no other posters would call them stupid.

I was raised that it is and a bunch of my friends made fun of me for this.

It may be regional. I am from the south where there are tons of storms and not being able to take a bath or shower in a storm is definitely considered a rule. My boyfriend from California where there aren't many storms thought I was crazy.

So I asked a plumber once and he said, yes, there is a risk.