By GinaCherundoloAccuWeather.com
Many people know to take precautionsoutdoors when thunderstorms threaten, but many may not know that you can alsobe harmed by lightning in theconfines of your home.
The use of wired electrical devices during thunderstorms can cause seriousinjury if lighting strikes your dwelling or nearby utility lines. Electronicssuch as landline phones, computers plugged into outlets and video game systemswith connected wired controllers can all channel electricity from the source toyour body.
"Lightning is the discharge of a buildup of a static charge," AccuWeather.comExpert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. "Lightning seeks the path ofleast resistance, which could be your body if the conditions are right."
If lightning hits ahouse, it can easily travel through the electrical wires and an electronicdevice, said AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist Henry Margusity. Thiscould result in a shock to a person using the device at the time, which couldcause a serious injury.
"We are seeing an increasing proportion of people injured indoors usingPlayStations and other hard-wired video games, even though they know to unplugtheir computers to prevent lightning damage," Dr.Mary Ann Cooper said in an article published by HealthDay.
Many of today's video game consoles, such as the Wii, the Xbox 360 and thePlayStation 3 primarily feature wireless handheld controllers, although wiredcontrollers can still be used on their respective systems by choice. Most olderconsole systems primarily feature wired controllers as well.
Wireless video game controllers, unplugged notebook computers and portablephones all primarily run on batteries and therefore do not pose a seriousdanger to flowing electrical currents. However, it is still possible to beshocked while using them, said Sosnowski.
"You really shouldn't be using any sort of electronic device during athunderstorm," Sosnowski said. "While it is very unlikely to be affected by alightning strikewhile indoors using a cell phone, it is still possible for the charge to arcthrough the frame of the house to a portable device made of metal."
According to the National Weather Service, 23 of the estimated 50 yearly lightning-relateddeaths have occurred so far this year.
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