‘This isn’t a joke’: East Texas town experiences ‘raining fish’ phenomenon

It “rained fish” for a few minutes in an east Texas town on Wednesday, December 29.

The City of Texarkana

An East Texas town received more than just rain during a recent storm. The City of Texarkana recently said that fish were falling from the sky for a brief moment on Wednesday, December 29. Yes, really.

“2021 is pulling out all the tricks… including raining fish in Texarkana today,” officials wrote on its Facebook post that received more than 1,600 shares. “And no, this isn’t a joke … While it’s uncommon, it happens, as evidenced in several places in Texarkana today.”

Animal rain is a real weather phenomenon that happens when small animals get swept up in waterspouts or updrafts and then fall to Earth with raindrops, according to National Geographic. Reported rains of bats, fish, snakes, birds, frogs, and jellies stretch back for centuries.

Mostly likely to cause animal rain are waterspouts, which form as violent storm clouds swirl above a large body of water, National Geographic explained. Strong winds (called updrafts) can then pull animals into their swirling vortices.

National Geographic added the storm clouds that formed the waterspouts and updrafts are eventually forced to dump their heavy loads. The heaviest objects are dumped first and the lightest objects (usually simple raindrops) are last. It explains why reports of animal rain usually describe only one type of animal raining down.

On Wednesday, thunderstorms passed through Texarkana around 4 p.m. The reports of falling fish were also made across the state line on the Arkansas side, according to KHOU. The fish were about 4 to 5 inches long and appeared to be young white bass.