Lightning DOES strike in the same place twice and other myths debunked

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Monday, August 20, 2018
Common lightning myths debunked
AccuWeather explains why some commonly held beliefs about lightning are in fact false.

Think lightning never strikes in the same place twice? Some commonly held beliefs about lightning are actually incorrect.

Lightning can hit the same location more than once, AccuWeather explains. The Empire State Building, for instance, gets struck dozens of times every year.

Another lightning myth that you shouldn't trust is the belief that someone who has been struck by lightning shouldn't be touched. The myth states that a lightning strike causes a person to be electrically charged, making them dangerous to come in contact with. But there is no electrical charge. Someone who has just been struck by lightning should be tended to immediately.

Another myth: the concept of "heat lightning." When you see what appears to be this phenomenon, it just means there's a storm far away.

One commonly held belief that is true, however, is that you shouldn't get in the shower during a lightning storm, as lightning can flow through pipes.

See more lightning myths and fun facts in the video above and on AccuWeather's site.