Half bullshit
It's dangerous to shower during a thunderstorm, and people have been killed or injured while doing so.
Spread on: Reddit and other online discussions (2026)
The real story
There is a small, real risk: at least three people in the US have been struck by lightning while showering since 2008, and all were injured rather than killed. But the odds are very low, especially in homes with plastic rather than metal plumbing. The old parental warning has a grain of truth, just not much of one.
The fact-checker's verdict: “Mixture”. Our label never goes further than theirs.
How to spot it
Ask for numbers: a risk that exists and a risk that is likely are very different things.
The receipts
Why you shouldn't worry too much about showering during a thunderstorm ↗
Snopes · 2026-08-10
