I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “It’s raining cats and dogs out there!”
Of course that sentence is usually said simply to drive home the point that it’s raining really, really hard, but it actually can be true in the literal sense at times.
Not only has it been known to “rain” cats and dogs, but also fish, frogs, cows and even human beings!
Of course these living things don’t really “rain” the way water falls from a storm cloud, but they do fall to earth from the sky as storms pass overhead.
How is this possible, you ask?
Well, tornadoes and waterspouts suck up all kinds of physical objects, and if the vortex’s updraft is strong enough some of those objects can be quite large and heavy.
There have actually been numerous instances in which many species of animals and even human beings were sucked up by tornadoes and carried long distances before being “rained” back to earth.
Some of those unlucky folks (or lucky folks, depending on your point of view) even survived the ordeal.
Bottom line: The next time you hear someone say “It’s raining cats and dogs out there!” you might want to go check it out. Although it’s extremely unlikely, they just might be telling the truth.
To finish up, have you ever wondered what it would be like to get trapped inside the cone of a violent tornado?
Well, in 2013 meteorologist Brandon Ivey and his crew found themselves and their storm-chasing vehicle trapped inside a tornado that was making its way across northern Kansas. You can experience that incredible event for yourself by watching this short video.
Note: As always, you can watch the video at full screen by clicking the “square” icon in the lower right-hand corner of the video.