Can Lightning Strike Inside a House?
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It is not actually possible that a lightning can directly strike you inside your own house because you are well protected by your house's rooftop, walls and windows. But not unless, there's an opening that invites the lightning to come inside.
There was one accident that occurred in the past where the victim was struck by lightning while inside her room. The incident occurred during the summer thunderstorm at Chippenham, Wiltshire and the victim was a 49 years-old nurse, "Jennifer Lyons".
According to the report, Jennifer was inside her room having a conversation on her cellular phone. You have to know that any wireless devices that emits microwave signal can attract lightning. In addition to her mobile phone, the window of her room was opened.
A sudden powerful lightning suddenly struck the nearby Satellite Dish outside Jennifer's house but the remaining electrical discharge was diverted to the victim. According to Jennifer, the lightning bolt struck her head but for some reason, she miraculously survived without suffering any serious injury.
Aside from making a wireless phone call near an open window of your house, there are also other possible means that the electrical discharge of the lightning can travel inside. In most cases, the electrical current can find its way through the conducive materials or parts of your house.
Here are some common possible mediums or conductors on how a lightning can penetrate inside your house:
1. Telephone Cable Wires
We are specifically referring about those corded-type of telephones connected to a long cable wire. If you are going to follow the long cable wire, you will find out that its connected from the "Power Lines" nearby your house. You have to know that power lines are an attraction to lightning strikes. So if it happens that you are using your telephone and at an unfortunate event, a lightning suddenly struck the power line. As a result, the excessive amount of electrical current induced by the lightning will travel into the telephone's cable wires where you will end up getting electrocuted.
Thus, the best advice is to avoid using your telephone during a bad thunderstorm. If you really need to make an emergency call, use your mobile phone but stay away from the windows when you use it.
2. Plumbing
Plumbing refers to the pipes, drain fittings, valves and other metallic tubes responsible for the distribution of the water supply around your house. And just like the cable wires, a lightning's electrical discharge can travel through them.
One of the qualities of lightning that has been discovered by the scientists is that, lightning tends to be attracted by the most conducive type of materials. Most plumbing materials are made of metallic elements which makes them a perfect conductor. So if it happens that the water-pipes outside your house (which goes inside your house) are not buried deep enough the ground, the lightning's electrical discharge can reach them allowing the current to travel inside your house. Due to this reason, you should stay away from your bath tub, shower and toilets during a bad thunderstorm.
3. Windows
Most houses today are built with metallic window frames. But as already mentioned above, lightning has the characteristic of being attracted by conducive materials such as metals. Thus, it is highly advised that you should stay away from the windows during a thunderstorm.
4. Electronic Devices
It is not actually just your corded telephone and mobile phones that can possibly attract lightning inside your house but all other electronic devices. Some of them includes your TV, computer, refrigerator and etc...
Common to all of the electronic devices is that you need to plug them into the "Wall-Outlet". You have to know that your house's electrical outlets are also connected into the power lines.
Overall, a lightning cannot directly strike you inside your house but it can possibly get inside through various means such as those that has been discussed above.
There was one accident that occurred in the past where the victim was struck by lightning while inside her room. The incident occurred during the summer thunderstorm at Chippenham, Wiltshire and the victim was a 49 years-old nurse, "Jennifer Lyons".
According to the report, Jennifer was inside her room having a conversation on her cellular phone. You have to know that any wireless devices that emits microwave signal can attract lightning. In addition to her mobile phone, the window of her room was opened.
A sudden powerful lightning suddenly struck the nearby Satellite Dish outside Jennifer's house but the remaining electrical discharge was diverted to the victim. According to Jennifer, the lightning bolt struck her head but for some reason, she miraculously survived without suffering any serious injury.
Aside from making a wireless phone call near an open window of your house, there are also other possible means that the electrical discharge of the lightning can travel inside. In most cases, the electrical current can find its way through the conducive materials or parts of your house.
Here are some common possible mediums or conductors on how a lightning can penetrate inside your house:
1. Telephone Cable Wires
We are specifically referring about those corded-type of telephones connected to a long cable wire. If you are going to follow the long cable wire, you will find out that its connected from the "Power Lines" nearby your house. You have to know that power lines are an attraction to lightning strikes. So if it happens that you are using your telephone and at an unfortunate event, a lightning suddenly struck the power line. As a result, the excessive amount of electrical current induced by the lightning will travel into the telephone's cable wires where you will end up getting electrocuted.
Thus, the best advice is to avoid using your telephone during a bad thunderstorm. If you really need to make an emergency call, use your mobile phone but stay away from the windows when you use it.
2. Plumbing
Plumbing refers to the pipes, drain fittings, valves and other metallic tubes responsible for the distribution of the water supply around your house. And just like the cable wires, a lightning's electrical discharge can travel through them.
One of the qualities of lightning that has been discovered by the scientists is that, lightning tends to be attracted by the most conducive type of materials. Most plumbing materials are made of metallic elements which makes them a perfect conductor. So if it happens that the water-pipes outside your house (which goes inside your house) are not buried deep enough the ground, the lightning's electrical discharge can reach them allowing the current to travel inside your house. Due to this reason, you should stay away from your bath tub, shower and toilets during a bad thunderstorm.
3. Windows
Most houses today are built with metallic window frames. But as already mentioned above, lightning has the characteristic of being attracted by conducive materials such as metals. Thus, it is highly advised that you should stay away from the windows during a thunderstorm.
4. Electronic Devices
It is not actually just your corded telephone and mobile phones that can possibly attract lightning inside your house but all other electronic devices. Some of them includes your TV, computer, refrigerator and etc...
Common to all of the electronic devices is that you need to plug them into the "Wall-Outlet". You have to know that your house's electrical outlets are also connected into the power lines.
Overall, a lightning cannot directly strike you inside your house but it can possibly get inside through various means such as those that has been discussed above.
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