(FreedomBeacon.com)- 2021 went out with a bang in Texarkana, Texas when, on December 29, fish rained down from the sky.
Texarkana city officials posted a photo of one of the fish on Facebook along with a post explaining it was an example of the rare “animal rain” phenomenon in which aquatic animals are swept up into waterspouts or updrafts that lift them up only to rain down to earth.
One such cause for this phenomenon is a tornado descending to the surface of a body of water. Objects and small animals are sucked up into the vortex and then rain down elsewhere. The same could happen from wind currents during a powerful thunderstorm.
In 1873, Kansas City, Missouri experienced frogs raining down from the sky. Raining tadpoles hit Japan in 2009. And in 2010, it rained spangled perch in Australia.
Some Texarkana residents remember hearing a massive thunderclap followed by heavy rains and falling fish. The fish in question appeared to be young white bass.
According to the National Weather Service, there were no reported incidents of waterspouts or severe flooding in Texarkana, only a line of thunderstorms that moved through the city during the afternoon. However, dozens of Texarkana residents called in to report fish falling from the sky, so the weather services looked into conditions to figure out what caused the event.
According to the Texarkana Gazette, residents from at least four locations around the city reported the falling fish.
Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist Bregan Brown said instances of multiple organisms dropping from the sky are very rare. While it might be scary, Brown said, it’s nothing to be concerned about.
One Texarkana businessman noted that people in the city got a kick out of the bizarre phenomenon. Though once the falling fish start to stink, they may have a change of heart.
