Unpredictable phenomena occasionally lead to alarming objects falling from the sky, leaving witnesses both baffled and terrified. From fish and frogs to money and meteorites, these unusual occurrences capture public fascination and spark curiosity about the natural world.
Falling Fish and Frogs
One of the most common examples of unexpected aerial drops is fish. Various weather conditions can lead to fish raining down on land. Notable incidents include a fish fall in 2021 in Texarkana, Texas, and another in 2017 in Tampico, Mexico. High winds and waterspouts are believed to have played a role in these events. A particularly striking case occurred in June 2015, when a resident of Virginia Beach discovered a 13-inch dogfish shark in her backyard after a thunderstorm. The likely explanation? A large bird may have dropped the shark while attempting to carry it.
Similarly, falling frogs have been documented throughout history, with instances as far back as the first century C.E. in Rome. Reports from 1873 in Kansas City and 2005 in Odzaci, Serbia, detail similar events, attributed to weather patterns such as waterspouts. An extraordinary incident on June 16, 1882, saw frozen frogs striking Dubuque, Iowa, resembling hail.
Money and Meteorites
Unexpected rain can also come in the form of cash. In 2018, gold bars fell from a cargo plane over Siberia due to a partially opened hatch during takeoff. Approximately nine tons of gold scattered across the landscape, with authorities recovering only 172 bars, or about 3.75 tons of gold.
In contrast, meteorites present a different kind of celestial surprise. On June 26, 2025, a meteorite entered the atmosphere and fragmented over Georgia, damaging several homes. Earlier, in 1969, the Murchison meteorite, containing water and amino acids, fell in Australia, offering insights into the building blocks of life.
Spiders and Unusual Liquids
Spiders can also make an unsettling descent. In 2021, an influx of spiders in Gippsland, Australia, led to a town being blanketed in silk after heavy rain and wind. This phenomenon, known as “ballooning,” occurs when spiders use their silk to travel through the air. In Brazil, massive communal webs constructed annually create a striking, albeit creepy, sight.
In a bizarre twist, some residents of Las Vegas experienced a rain of mysterious liquid in February 2022. Initially feared to be harmful, the substance was identified as “bee frass,” the excrement of bees. While the liquid turned out to be harmless, its presence left residents grappling with an unpleasant clean-up.
Human and Animal Falls
While falling objects often evoke curiosity, some incidents are downright chilling. Luke Aikins, an expert skydiver, famously jumped 25,000 feet without a parachute, landing safely in a net. A more harrowing case occurred on January 26, 1972, when Vesna Vulovic, an air stewardess, survived a catastrophic plane crash, falling 33,000 feet from a Yugoslav Airlines flight. She was found alive in the wreckage, trapped by a food cart.
Birds are also frequent victims of unforeseen circumstances. In 2022, a flock of yellow-headed blackbirds fell from the sky in Chihuahua, Mexico, likely due to collision with power lines or toxic fumes. Similarly, in 2021, hundreds of sparrows perished in Bali from pesticide exposure.
Such phenomena, while unsettling, remind us of the unpredictable nature of our environment. From the seemingly absurd to the truly terrifying, the sky continues to surprise us in ways that defy explanation.
