Can you use the phone during a storm?

Question

I have been told that using a chord phone during a storm is dangerous because if lightning struck it could come through the phone line.
I have also been told that using a cordless is also dangerous.
Which is safer, or does it even matter?

Answer 1

It is not an old wives tale. I personally found one of my customers dead from a lightning strike coming through the phone. I also found a customer who was killed when lightning struck his TV antenna then came out ot the tuner knob and struck him in the chest, killing him.

In the late 80's I had one of the earliest models of cordless phones. One evening during a sever thunderstorm, my wife and I smelled something burning. I thought it might be one of he appliances in the kitchen got zapped. I couldn't find anything wrong, but the burning smell was getting stronger, so I told my wife to call the Fire Dept.. When she picked up the cordless phone her finger got severely burned and plastic stuck to her finger tips. The phone was not in the charging stand. It was laying on the lamp table next to my chair. The base unit was in our bedroom. After I tended her burns, I checked the base unit and it was melted. Somehow the lightening that struck the telephone line somewhere went through the base and then fried the handset. It was a good 20 or more feet away from the base with wall between them. I have been an Electronics Technician for 35 yrs and can't explain how the lightening did it.

So if you want to use a phone, cordless or not, during a storm, you are spinning the wheel of fate. As one of the guys in my Squad in Nam used to say, "Yous spins the wheel and yous takes yous chances".

Answer 2

It could be dangerous, but I don't see what it could do. Phone lines aren't actually run by electricity. If you own a home, i'd ask Verizon (if they're your provider) to install FiOS. In the event that your phone lines were to go out from a storm or something, the FiOS has a back-up battery that is good for 48 hours and allows for you to continue to use the phone. I think neither a lanline (home phone) or a cell would really hurt you, since neither are directly connected to an electrical current.

Answer 3

cordless phone is much safer because the electricity travles through the wire on a cordless phone. plus it may create a very high pitched noice that can damage your hearing the second possibility is possible with a cordless phone (I Think) But the electricity can harm u cause the electricty wont go through the air

Answer 4

yes you can use both phones but I think the risk of getting shocked is very low but during a hurricane it would be easier to use a cord phone that uses batteries (no power no phone) or a cell!

Answer 5

i work in the telephone industry and there are lightning protection moduals on most lines nowadays but i have seen some nte boxes totally fried by lightning so you never know. i have never heared of anybody dying though

Answer 6

then what about travelling in the planes,there is a chance of crash so carry on the use of phone in stromes .

the chance of happining this is very little as 1 in 100000 then why we restrict ourself.

as there is always the chance of drowning of a swimmer in water. and if he drowns then what do u think he had not to go in water.

Answer 7

You can use a phone during a storm but it is pretty stupid to.

Answer 8

yes go outside in a storm and find out

Answer 9

that's an old wives tale....my grandmother use to say the same stuff......