If the power is still on in a house that is flooded and someone walks in the water, why/how are they not electrocuted?

Question

I keep seeing videos of people coming home to a burst pipe or the neighbors above them having a flood. The water pours down from the ceiling and from the light fixtures (lights are on), but the people walking around the house don’t get electrocuted.

In: 1433

Answer 1

In places with safety switches (residual current devices) as soon as enough water gets into the wiring to create a risk, the circuit breaker trips.

So if the lights are still on, most likely, the water hasn’t got into anything that will cause a short circuit.