Claim:
Showering during a thunderstorm poses a genuine hazard, and people have suffered injuries or fatalities as a result.
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<span class="fact_check_info_title">What's True</span>
<p class="fact_check_info_description">Choosing to shower during a thunderstorm introduces an avoidable hazard, albeit a minor one. Since 2008, the U.S. has documented at least three separate incidents where individuals were struck by lightning while using the shower, resulting in injuries rather than fatalities.</p>
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<span class="fact_check_info_title">What's False</span>
<p class="fact_check_info_description">The statistical probability of experiencing a lightning strike while showering during a storm is extremely low, particularly within modern residences utilizing plastic plumbing systems instead of metal pipes.</p>
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<p>For generations, elders have cautioned youngsters against stepping into the shower when a thunderstorm rolls through.</p>
<p>Nowadays, plenty of people question whether that guidance held any real weight. Users across various online discussion boards, such as Reddit's "<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/stupidquestions/comments/1uvymxl/is_it_actually_dangerous_to_take_a_shower_during/?solution=857736ec497dffc3857736ec497dffc3&js_challenge=1&token=7afd7253fec22262ff1c52b1703fe9ec8e3312ea1ead7de1a0adc4e09652507b&jsc_orig_r=">Stupid Questions</a>" (<a href="https://perma.cc/S8YK-MC9T">archived</a>) and "<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/1sxdg5r/is_showering_during_a_thunderstorm_dangerous/">No Stupid Questions</a>" (<a href="https://perma.cc/8E7H-FWW8">archived</a>), have frequently questioned the actual risk behind this common warning.</p>
<img class="img-lg" src="https://mediaproxy.snopes.com/width/600?url=https://media.snopes.com/2026/08/showering_during_thunderstorm_reddit_screenshots.png" alt="Pair of Reddit posts aligned vertically."/>
<p><strong>(Reddit)</strong></p>
<p>Similar inquiries pop up frequently on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/576182985761781/posts/27933225632964147/">Facebook</a> (<a href="https://perma.cc/4DV4-TYJ4?type=standard">archived</a>). Meanwhile, cautionary content highlighting the supposed perils of bathroom routines during severe weather can be found scattered across video platforms like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/2491509861225285">Facebook</a> (<a href="https://perma.cc/WUQ5-LDZZ?type=image">archived</a>), <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reels/DAoELrKNo-4/">Instagram</a> (<a href="https://perma.cc/3WED-5Z8Z?type=image">archived</a>), and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4t-v1Fev5A8">YouTube</a> (<a href="https://perma.cc/8G2Y-QGMT?type=standard">archived</a>).</p>
<p>While the likelihood of a lightning strike hitting someone in the shower during a storm is exceptionally minimal—especially in newer properties equipped with modern safety features—it remains a physical possibility. Consequently, this claim lands on a blend of factual accuracy and exaggeration.</p>
<p>Guidance published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in both <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240605054232/https://www.cdc.gov/lightning/faq/index.html">2024</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/lightning/faq/index.html">2026</a> advises the public to steer clear of showers and interior plumbing during thunderstorms. Throughout various iterations of its lightning safety guidelines, the CDC stresses that avoiding water altogether is the wisest course of action. Although <a href="https://www.hosemanufacture.com/blog/what-is-the-electrical-conductivity-of-pvc-pipes-2257384.html">plastic pipes act as electrical insulators</a> and lower the chances of current traveling through structural plumbing compared to metal, the water flowing through them can still conduct electricity. To minimize exposure, the CDC recommends keeping physical distance from plumbing fixtures and running water.</p>
<p>The National Weather Service echoes these exact precautions on its advisory portal.</p>
<p>When lightning strikes the earth, electrical currents can propagate outward into surrounding soil and impact nearby objects or individuals, notes the <a href="https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/lightning/faq/#:~:text=What%20happens%20to%20the%20ground%20when%20lightning%20strikes%20it%3F">National Weather Service</a>. The agency further details how a strike that misses a home entirely can still infiltrate the building via electrical wiring or water pipes:</p>
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<p><span>The lightning current can travel even farther through water, metal fences, power lines or plumbing. Lightning current may enter a building and transfer through wires or plumbing and damage everything in its path. Similarly, in urban areas, it may strike a pole or tree and the current then travels to several nearby houses and other structures and enter them through wiring or plumbing.</span></p>
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<p>Canadian authorities issue <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/lightning/safety/overview.html">comparable advisories</a>. While citizens are encouraged to take refuge "<a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/lightning/safety/overview.html#:~:text=Take%20shelter%20immediately!%20Preferably%20in%20an%20enclosed%20building%20with%20wiring%20and%20plumbing%2C%20or%20in%20an%20all%2Dmetal%20vehicle%20(not%20convertible%20top).">within an enclosed building equipped with wiring and plumbing</a>," the government simultaneously advises residents to "<a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/lightning/safety/overview.html#:~:text=Delay%20taking%20a%20shower%2C%20bath%2C%20or%20washing%20dishes%20by%20hand%20during%20a%20thunderstorm.%20Water%20is%20an%20electrical%20conductor.%20If%20lightning%20strikes%20the%20charge%20may%20travel%20through%20the%20pipes.">postpone bathing or dishwashing</a>" because electrical charges from nearby strikes can readily conduct through internal piping.</p>
<p>At the same time, the actual danger of taking a shower during a storm has decreased significantly over generations, making it a rather improbable event. Research published in 2016 by National Weather Service scientist Ronald Holle documented a sharp decline in U.S. lightning casualties, specifically noting a major drop in the <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/wcas/8/1/wcas-d-15-0032_1.xml#:~:text=Fig.%202.,al.%202005).">proportion of indoor fatalities</a> over the past century. Holle attributed this positive trend largely to structural improvements, highlighting "<a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/wcas/8/1/wcas-d-15-0032_1.xml#:~:text=An%20important%20accompanying,time%20lightning%20information.">the widespread availability of lightning-safe large buildings</a>."</p>
<p>Residential construction standards have evolved to be far more resilient against electrical hazards, and homeowners without built-in safeguards can opt to install dedicated lightning protection systems.</p>
<p>Industry providers like <a href="https://ecle.biz/what-is-lightning-protection/building-types/residential-lightning-protection/">East Coast Lightning Equipment</a> clarify that protective setups "neither attract, repel nor prevent a lightning strike. The lightning protection system simply provides a safe path for the lightning current to follow — allowing the harmful current to be guided safely into the ground and away from your home." Similarly, <a href="https://www.michiganlightning.com/how-lightning-protection-services-protect-homes-from-fire-hazards">Michigan Lightning Protection</a> notes that these installations establish designated pathways that divert electrical surges directly into the earth, preventing currents from coursing through structural materials, wiring, or plumbing.</p>
<p>Records maintained by the <a href="https://perma.cc/WK8V-Q28N">U.S. National Lightning Safety Council</a> spanning from 2006 to 2025 show zero fatalities tied to people showering during a storm. The overwhelming majority of individuals killed by lightning during that timeframe were located outdoors.</p>
<p>Even so, avoiding injury entirely is never guaranteed. A residence might lack adequate shielding, or an unpredictable anomaly could take place.</p>
<p>Data compiled by the <a href="https://struckbylightning.org/">Struck by Lightning database</a>, which tracks verified news reports of lightning incidents, reveals at least <a href="https://perma.cc/6V8T-YB69">three</a> <a href="https://perma.cc/X52M-AV4T">documented</a> <a href="https://perma.cc/V6H4-WS2Y">cases</a> since 2008 where individuals were struck while using the shower. In each of these instances, the victims sustained non-fatal injuries.</p>
<p>Additionally, a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reels/DLc4l0ZClcb/">video shared by AccuWeather</a> in 2025 highlights structural lightning damage inside a residential bathroom, though the homeowner happened to be absent at the moment of impact.</p>
<p>Ultimately, the situation comes down to risk management. While lounging in a living room during a storm presents a practically negligible hazard, stepping into a shower introduces a tangible, albeit very low, risk of electrical exposure.</p>
<p><i><a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/bath-lightning-deaths/">Snopes' archives</a> contributed to this report.</i></p>