It wasn’t a celestial event in Texarkana, Texas this week; instead, a deluge of fish surprised residents during an unusual weather episode.
“2021 has served up all sorts of surprises… including a fish shower in Texarkana [Wednesday]. No, this isn’t a prank,” the city announced on its Facebook page, showcasing photographic evidence.
Municipal explanations attribute this “animal rain” to a phenomenon where small aquatic creatures, such as fish or frogs, are lifted by strong winds or heavy rains.
The Library of Congress supports this theory, noting that “a tornado might touch down over water, gathering up objects and small animals in its vortex, causing them to rain down elsewhere.”
This phenomenon, while globally observed for centuries, lacks comprehensive documentation.
A Texarkana local described the event as “pretty cool,” gathering fallen fish for fishing bait.
Many residents shared their post-rain discoveries of fish in their yards on the city’s social media post.
California experienced a similar occurrence in 2017, with numerous fish falling from the sky onto an Oroville elementary school.