Okay, okay... we don’t know of any cases where cats and dogs fell from the sky, but read
about these other creatures that have rained down on unsuspecting citizens:
Fish
Have you ever seen fish fall from the sky? People have for centuries. Alive, dead, whole,
in pieces, and ranging from less than an inch to a foot in length, reports of airborne
fish go as far back as ancient Egypt and in countries like India, Burma, France, Ecuador,
and the United States.
On February 9, 1859, an Englishman was getting ready to saw some wood when he felt
something falling on his neck, his head, and his back. Putting his hand down his neck,
he was surprised to find little fish. Soon the ground was covered with them, jumping
about. In 1861, residents of Singapore filled baskets with the fishy downpour and ate
them. When the creatures fell on a British army in India in 1809, the general had some
cooked for his table. An Australian couple in 1989 swept up the freshly fallen sardines
and fed them to their cat. Fish native to local waters fell on Marksville (USA) in 1947,
raining down on residents and covering Main Street. In 1986, smelts fell down on Lake
Michigan in such numbers as to almost capsize a fishing trawler.
The explanation? Scientists guess that they are carried into the air by tornadoes,
whirlwinds, and waterspouts, and then released when the winds die down.
Frogs
In 1891, yellow frogs the size of half crowns fell from the sky during a thunderstorm
in Bournemouth, England. They were so numerous that many became impaled on the thorns of
gorse bushes in the area. For days afterward, the stench of the dead amphibians filled
the air.
Surprisingly, this incident is only one of hundreds of accounts of falling frogs, toads,
and tadpoles around the world. Even the Bible mentions it - the second plague of Egypt
was a storm of airborne frogs.
Toad storms appear to be more common in certain countries. In France, for instance,
several hundred of the animals landed on 150 men of the grand guard in Lelain, in 1794.
One soldiers, holding out his handkerchief, was able to catch dozens of the creatures in
it. In 1833, toads fell on the town of Jouy (near Versailles). Greece is also prone to
frog falls. One northern village experienced two occurences, one in 1963 and another in
1979. During the second incident, frogs covered the road so thickly that traffic was
brought to a standstill.
Although it has never been proven, these amphibian showers are thought to be caused by
whirlwinds and waterspouts that gather the unlucky animals up from their homes and
transport them elsewhere.
Other Animals
Documented cases of snakes, snails, beetles, and ants have also appeared throughout
history. In 1972, citizens of Bucharest, Romania, witnessed a shower of black worms the
size of houseflies. The bugs fell from a small cloud that had appeared overhead. In
1894, jellyfish fell on the unsuspecting town of Bath, England, while in 1989, sick and
dying bats rained down on Fort Worth, Texas (USA).
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