Did you grow up learning that it’s not safe to take a shower or even wash your hands or dishes during a thunderstorm?

As it turns out, your parents, grandparents, and so forth were most likely told the same thing, simply passing it on as it has through the generations.

But is this true or just an urban myth that has stuck around through the decades?

Well, as it turns out, it’s all true, and it has to do with lightning strikes running through water pipes or electrical wires.

As a matter of fact, you shouldn’t use any plumbing of any kind during a thunderstorm when lightning flashes through the sky, followed by that loud rumble or even sharp crack of thunder.

HURRICANES: New Category 6 Likely Around the Corner

According to the website Medical News Today, just as you’re supposed to stay out of the swimming pool, off the beach, and even the golf course when there’s lightning, the same goes for showering or touching water in general.

Believe it or not, one out of every three lightning strikes injures someone who’s inside, and that can include getting shocked while you’re in the shower or using running water.

If lightning strikes a building, it may travel through the plumbing. Showering during a thunderstorm may increase a person’s risk of electrocution. This risk is greater with metal pipes than plastic pipes, but it is still best to avoid using any plumbing system or running water during a thunderstorm.

Yes, according to the CDC, this includes washing dishes or even your hands. Just stay away from water in general as a precaution because lightning strikes can travel some 10 miles through pipes.

Now, according to the CDC, there’s no evidence that anyone has ever died from a lightning strike while showering; however, you probably know what even a light, simple shock feels like.

If you ask me, it’s not worth taking the chance with a lightning strike that ventures into my plumbing.