The“Ask Hutch” column at The Hutchinson News recently tackled a question that many rural dwellers have wondered about: Can you really be struck by lightning while taking a bath? As children, many High Plains residents were warned against bathing during thunderstorms. A group of meteorologists agreed that the odds of being hurt like this are extremely rare. But it’s not impossible.
Most people hit by lightning are outside. But, according to Snopes.com, lightning striking into the ground near homes has sent electricity up pipes and into sinks and bathtubs. However, incidents like this are uncommon because rarely is someone doing dishes or showering at the “precise moment when a bolt hits.”
However, be careful. Eight years ago a 15-year-old in Topeka was hit by lightning while taking a shower. She recalled: “I couldn’t feel my legs at all.” She added, “I felt all this pain in my legs and my whole body.”
