DENVER (KDVR) — “Don’t shower during a thunderstorm” and “lightning never strikes in the same place twice” are tips you may have heard growing up, and while some phrases are true, others can do more harm than good.
Age-old tips surrounding thunderstorms can be helpful, like where it’s safest to be during a storm and how to tell how close you are to lightning. However, you may also believe some phrases that aren’t completely true, and are dangerous to believe.
Nexstar’s KDVR fact-checked common phrases surrounding thunder and lightning storms. Here’s which phrases are true and false when it comes to thunderstorms:
Don’t shower during a thunderstorm
This age-old tale is actually true. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said lightning can travel through plumbing, so people should avoid all activities that use water from the home’s pipes, including showering, bathing, washing dishes, and washing hands.
Lightning never strikes in the same place twice
This is a myth. Lightning can, and often does, strike in the same spot repeatedly, especially if it’s a tall, pointy object, like the Empire State Building, which gets struck an average of 23 times a year, according to the National Weather Service.
You are 100% safe from lightning inside a house
This is also a myth. NWS said a house is safe, as long as you avoid anything that conducts electricity, like wires, television cables and plumbing.
Windows can also be dangerous. NWS says, in rare instances, lightning can strike through cracks in the sides of windows. One Denver woman said she was struck by lightning through a window during recent storms.
You can tell how far lightning is by counting
This is true. To see how far away lightning is from you, the NWS said you can count the seconds between seeing the lightning flash and hearing thunder. Every five seconds equals about one mile in distance.
You can’t be hit by lightning if there is no rain or clouds overhead
This is a myth. NWS said lightning often strikes more than three miles from the center of the storm, and can strike from even 10 to 15 miles away from the thunderstorm.
While there are many myths around thunder and lightning, KDVR’s Pinpoint Weather team said the best practice to follow is “when thunder roars, go indoors,” as lying on the ground and heading beneath a tree is actually more dangerous.
