Whee! Thunderstorm!

[rjlona]

We're having a thunderstorm! I love thunderstorms! Of course, I was just about to get in the bathtub. Now, I've been told that it's dangerous to be in a bathtub or shower during a thunderstorm, but I've also been told that it's perfectly safe. So which is it? Any help from all you scientist friends of mine? I know you're mostly biologists, but surely someone must have a good answer for this.

Comments

[lyev.livejournal.com]

http://www.uic.edu/labs/lightninginjury/ltnfacts.htm

It's probably not the best idea to be in the tub, but then again the odds of a strike at a given point at any given time are always slim (but non-zero). How often do the lights flicker, power go out, or the cable TV loses its signal? That should give you some idea of relative risk during storms in your area.

[magda-vogelsang.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough, the one time my house was struck by lightning was not during a thunderstorm (alhtough one did arrive half an hour later). For details, see my response to amnachaidh above.

[rjlona.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the great article!

As for lights and power problems, the wiring inside my house is nearly 90 years old. It goes out all the time, not just during storms, although I can't remember any significant problems during regular storms. Usually, when the power goes out during a storm, it's because the wind blew a tree down onto a power line.

I ended up just waiting for the storm to pass for a bit, then taking a nice, late-night bath (my chances of bathing undisturbed increase significantly once my parents are asleep). I lit some candles in case the power did go out, which happened the last time I took a bath but had more to do with the space heater in the bathroom blowing a fuse. Damn 90-year-old wiring!