Most of us will have heard the phrase, “It’s raining cats and dogs.” The phrase is supposed to have originated in England in the 17th century. City streets were filthy then, and heavy rain would occasionally carry along dead animals. Richard Brome’s The City Witt, 1652, has the line, ‘It shall rain dogs and polecats.’ Also, cats and dogs both have ancient associations with lousy weather.
However, ‘It’s raining alligators’ is a lesser-known phrase. Maybe because it supposedly happened for real, or at least one alligator.
On July 2, 1843, an unusual event reportedly occurred when an alligator was said to have fallen from the sky. This bizarre phenomenon, part of a series of strange animal rain occurrences, has been documented throughout history with various animals, such as fish and frogs, seemingly dropping from the heavens.
While it may sound implausible, these events are often explained by meteorological phenomena. One common explanation involves waterspouts or tornadoes, which can pick up small animals from bodies of water and carry them over long distances before depositing them elsewhere.
The specifics of the 1843 alligator incident are not well-documented, but they align with other historical reports of similar occurrences. These rare events continue to fascinate and mystify scientists and the public.
According to the National Weather Service Charleston office, on July 2, 1843, there were reports of an alligator falling from the sky during a thunderstorm in downtown Charleston. The article described a strong thunderstorm that developed on a scorching July Sunday. St. Paul’s Church was reportedly struck by lightning but not harmed. No one was reported dead following the storm, but an alligator appeared at the corner of Wentworth and Anson Street in downtown Charleston after the storm had cleared. And while no one saw the alligator actually fall from the sky, the writer states that “and as he couldn’t have got there any other way, it was decided unanimously that he rained down.” That and the look of wonder and bewilderment on the alligator’s face led to the idea that he had come from the sky.
The working theory is that the gator could have been picked up by a waterspout that formed over a nearby river or creek and dropped on Anson Street as the spout dissipated.
It finished up with another bizarre meteorological event, described via the media song by a group of ladies who witnessed it raining men.
Sources
https://www.onthisday.com/photos/the-day-an-alligator-fell-from-the-sky
https://www.wbtw.com/news/alligator-rains-down-from-the-sky-according-to-1843-charleston-report/
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