While “raining cats and dogs” is a metaphor for heavy rain, reports of animals, particularly frogs, falling from the sky have circulated for centuries, often dismissed as folklore. Though rare, a scientific explanation exists for these unusual meteorological events, rooted in powerful severe weather systems.
The Science Behind Animal Rains
Animal rain is primarily linked to strong atmospheric updrafts, notably waterspouts or tornadoes that form over bodies of water. A waterspout is a rotating column of air extending from a cloud to a body of water, essentially a tornado over water. These powerful vortices create a low-pressure zone, acting like a vacuum that lifts water and objects from the surface.
As a waterspout intensifies, it can suck up small, light aquatic animals such as frogs, fish, or insects from ponds, lakes, or oceans. These creatures are carried aloft into storm clouds, sometimes to considerable altitudes and over significant distances. When the waterspout loses energy or moves over land, the updraft weakens, and the captured animals are released, falling to the ground with rain or hail. This process explains why animals appear to “rain” down, often far from their original habitats.
Beyond Frogs What Else Rains Down
While frogs are frequently associated with animal rain, other small, lightweight creatures are also transported by powerful winds. Fish are the most commonly reported, often due to their abundance in aquatic environments where waterspouts can form. Instances of fish rain have been documented with various species, including needlefish, sunfish, and tilapia.
Beyond aquatic life, reports include worms, insects, and even tadpoles. Their small size and light weight make them easily entrained in strong updrafts. Occasionally, slightly larger animals like jellyfish or small birds have also been reported, though such occurrences are less common. The type of animal that rains down typically depends on the ecosystem beneath the weather system that initiates the event.
Recorded Incidents Through History
Accounts of animals falling from the sky have been recorded for centuries. Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder documented storms of frogs and fish in the first century AD. In 1794, French soldiers witnessed toads falling during heavy rain near Lille, France.
More recently, a notable incident occurred in Marksville, Louisiana, in 1947, when hundreds of needlefish rained down during a storm, an event investigated by the US Weather Bureau. In Rákóczifalva, Hungary, residents reported two separate incidents of frogs falling in June 2010. Another documented case involved fish falling in Texarkana, Texas, in December 2021, which the city attributed to a waterspout. These incidents, while rare, serve as real-world examples of this meteorological occurrence.