Can You Shower During a Thunderstorm? Here's What Safety Experts Say

While you don’t have to wait 30 minutes after eating before enjoying a nice swim, and gum doesn’t take seven years to move through the digestive tract, turns out the age-old advice to never shower during a thunderstorm is actually rooted in fact. 

About one-third of all lightning-related injuries occur indoors, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Our experts break down common misconceptions about water safety during a storm—including the risk of taking showers—along with general storm safety, to keep you and your family safe. 

Why Is Showering During a Thunderstorm Dangerous?

Lightning can travel into a home through plumbing. “Metal pipes conduct electricity directly, and even water in PVC pipes is conductive,” says Brandi Richard Thompson, a disaster-relief expert with 20 years of experience. “The risk isn't theoretical. FEMA and CDC both include this in official lightning safety guidance, and the National Weather Service recommends avoiding showers and baths during active thunderstorms.”

In fact, most people don't realize that lightning doesn't have to directly strike your house. “It can strike nearby, where it can travel through the ground and into your plumbing system, reaching anyone who is making contact with running water or any metal fixtures inside your home,” explains Amanda Demanda, a personal injury attorney. “A significant number of people suffer lightning injuries while they're indoors, and that needs to be communicated.”

Common Misconceptions about Water Safety During Storms

• Being indoors means being safe: It reduces your risk, but electricity conducted through plumbing, wiring, and even windows is a real pathway, Thompson warns. 
• Modern homes are safe: Water conducts electricity, DeManda explains, and while plastic pipes can reduce the risk, it doesn't mean you have zero risk.
• A distant storm isn’t a concern: While the weather outside may not seem so extreme, remember that lightning can strike miles ahead of a storm's rain, according to Thompson. Timing yourself for a quick shower doesn't change the physics.
• Other household tasks are safe: Washing your dishes, doing your laundry, and running the faucet to wash your hands can similarly put you in serious danger, DeManda cautions.

General Storm Safety

First and foremost, pay attention to weather forecasts, especially during the summer months when lightning deaths are most likely to occur. You want to get indoors as quickly as possible.

Have a plan before the storm—not while it's happening. “That's where most households fall short,” Thompson says. “If you have children or elderly family members at home, that plan needs to be practiced before storm season and not explained in the middle of a storm.”

Once you hear thunder, avoid contact with plumbing and electrical systems until 30 minutes after the last rumble. “It is a small inconvenience that greatly decreases the injury caused during an electrical surge caused by lightning,” says Brian Dunagan, managing consultant and chief investigator at IFO Group. Concrete walls and floors are reinforced with metal rebar, which conducts electricity and should therefore also be avoided. Try to stand clear of any exterior doors or windows, too.

DeManda has seen serious injury cases where those who have lived to tell about their lightning strikes often have neurological and memory issues, as well as chronic pain. “These symptoms might not appear for weeks and may not ever go away,” she warns. “It's far better to be inconvenienced for 20 minutes rather than suffer the consequences for a lifetime.”