I have always been told that if you take a shower during a thunderstorm, you could get shocked by lightning. Is this acctually possible?

Also heard that it is possible for an electric water heater to fail in such a way as to cause people to receive shocks when taking showers.

Well, that't interesting, but can lightning strike you in the shower?

Yes,No,Yes

When I was stationed in Ft Stewart, Georgia we finished gunnery and were parked in a swamp(no pun intended) that was flooded. Standing in line for chow in the water everyone suddenly felt like we got shocked through our rubber boots, then we heard the thunder crack about 1/2 a second later.

I think it was my grandmother who told me when i was a kid not to take a shower when it was raining because lightning could strike the ground where the water pipes are and travel through the water stream and shock you. Always wondered if it was possible. Most water pipes are now pvc and not metal like the old days, but i know there are places where there are still metal pipes delivering water to houses. In fact last year before i bought my house i passed on one house because it still had lead pipes. I got to thinking about it yesterday because i had to take a shower when it was storming outside. But i have to say, i'm a paramedic in new orleans and have been working on an ambulance for 7 years and i've never had to pick up someone who was shocked in the shower. Still, it would be cool to see it tested on the show.

quote:

Originally posted by CoonassCowboy:
Still, it would be cool to see it tested on the show.

Like to see it on the show? Check out Episode 30

huskermaster, look at it like this:

Suppose the answer to your question is

"No, it's not possible to get shocked by lightning if you're in the shower. Cannot happen, never has happened, never will happen."

If that were the case, we'd all be taught as small children that the safest place to be during a lightning storm is in the shower. Yet, you never heard that, did you? So, obviously, it is possible. Not likely, but not impossible.

They did this on the show, using a giant lighting machine. While not generating near hte power of a real lightning strike, they managed to fry Buster in the shower. they also managed to fry his head while using a corded phone in a thunderstorm.

I don't think they did this one on the show. It's nowhere on the episode list, and I've certainly looked for it since this is a running debate I've had with dear old Dad for twenty-odd years now. Which episode was it in?

OOPS! Let me take that back; I just saw the reference to episode 30, and there it is.

Weird . . . I have watched this show ad nauseum, and have never once seen that episode! Do they not air this one in reruns?

And is there anywhere to catch this one on-line?

Again...duh!...answered my own question. Found it downloadable for $2 on this site. Man, I love the internet!