Is There any, ANY way to get hit by lightning when you're inside your house on your computer.....?

Question

Not saying any names, but i know a few good friends that turn off EVERY SINGLE thing in the house, everytime they hear some thunder outside. They freak out about it! Here at my house, if theres a storm, i really dont care. I just grab some chips, a soda, and turn up the volume on the computer listening to Hendrix while i think of something fun to do during the storm! Anyways, for the sake of my friends' paranoia, is there any, ANY way to get hit by lightning when you're inside your house, on your computer or watching TV, while there's a MILD thunderstorm outside. What are the odds of getting hit by lightning while doing that? If you can, please give some examples of how you COULD get hit by lightning inside your house. Please help. THANKS!!!!!

Answer 1

You betcha.
Although I am not unreasonably afraid of lightning, I *do* respect it!

I am one of the ""turn everything off,' freaks".

But here in a rural area, the power lines are always getting it, not like in the city, where the power is much more likely to stay clean.

Its so bad out here that I snap the main breaker, all the sub-breakers and unplug all the expensive electronics. The coax lead from the cable company is also vulnerable.

Answer 2

It is absolutely possible. If lightning strikes in a place such as the wiring that connects to your house, or close enough to it to jump into the wiring, it will cause a surge of electricity in all the power lines in your house. If anything is plugged in, and no surge protector (or one with a capacity too low) is protecting it, the surge will enter the device. In the case of computers this surge has been known to jump to the person using the computer. This is also the case with some other types of electronic devices. It is usually not as serious as being struck directly, but it is harmful. I know someone who experienced this exact situation.

As for the odds, it's a long shot. It is more likely than being struck by lightning directly though. This is because these types of strikes have more possible strike points than a typical bolt.

Answer 3

Yes it is entirely possible. My father was hit by lightning while talking on a landline phone. The lightning hit a tree right outside the house and traveled through the house's wiring, destroying almost every appliance we owned. The shock though the phone wasn't enough to hurt him, but it blew the phone right out of his hand. its a good idea to invest in high quality surge protectors for all of your expensive electronics, and try to unplug them if a storm is getting bad.

Answer 4

the possibility exists, but the probability is so remote as to be all but virtually impossible. the chance of lightning striking inside a structure is also highly improbable, but if conditions are right, it can enter through any path which is easier to follow than another. an open window and some way to get to ground, would be absolutly necessary. (please note, lightning starts at the ground and goes upward into the clouds, not downward to the earth, as the weather services have found by observation and have photographed using highspeed photography).

Answer 5

The chance of getting directly hit is unlikely.If a bolt did hit the house,it could send a serge through all the appliances and course things to short circuit and spark.