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.
Why you shouldn’t park under an overpass during a tornado
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…