NORTH CAROLINA -- Splish splash I was taking a bath…
When I was little my parents would always tell me to hold off from taking a shower until the thunderstorm passed. Turns out, at that time, my parents knew more about the weather than I did! You may be familiar with the phrase “when thunder roars, go indoors” but thunderstorms can still pose a threat even if you are inside.
It can be dangerous to take a shower or a bath during a thunderstorm. On average, 10-20 people get struck by lightning while bathing, using faucets, or handling an appliance during a storm. Metal plumbing and the water inside are excellent conductors of electricity. So feel free to use this lesson to get out of doing the dishes on the next stormy night.
In order to stay safe, indoors, during the next thunderstorms remember to:
- Stay off corded phone
- Not touch electrical equipment like computers or TV’s
- Avoid plumbing
- Stay away from windows and doors that might have small leaks around them
- Bring your pets inside
Last year, lightning killed 18 people in the U.S., but over a 30 year average 43 people die from lightning each year.
With new technology, including lightning notifications on weather apps, makes it is easier to safe safe ahead of a thunderstorm. Remember the Spectrum News App is a free download for iPhones and Androids.