Being outside in nature is beautiful and relaxing. However, there are dangers surrounding you at almost every corner. While you may have street smarts, mother nature is wild and unexpected. Rather than getting caught up in a rip current or getting struck by lightning, learn to notice the warning signs nature gives you so you can avoid disaster.
Natural disasters happen all of the time, but there are always warning signs before they strike. Here are ways you can steer clear of natural disasters by knowing these nature warning signs.
Don't stay in the area if the ocean level drops
If you are walking on the beach and the water starts receding quickly, do not look at what the ocean floor uncovers. Make a run for higher and more inland ground. Receding water like that means a tsunami is most likely happening and will be on its way.
Tsunamis happen as a result of an earthquake that happens out in the ocean. The earthquake causes water displacement that then travels at high speeds across the area. If there is land in its way, the water will overtake it.
Beware of wall clouds
Clouds can be beautiful, but they can also signal deadly occurrences. A wall cloud is nothing like fluffy white ones that mean no harm, it sits lower than other clouds and can be as long as five miles.
Air that is rising fast makes the pressure drop right under the storm, making this wall cloud. These clouds can form tornadoes and so it is best to take shelter when these are rolling through. Many of these are found in areas like Kansas.
Stay away from the channel of choppy waters at the beach
If you happen to come across a channel of water that is rougher than usual, debris circling in a particular spot, or a gap in waves, make sure to stay out of that area as it almost certainly means that there is a rip current below the surface that is very dangerous.
Rip currents are very fast and powerful channels of water that flow away from the beach and into the deeper water. This can be deadly for anyone caught in it.
If you see animals fleeing, an earthquake may be near
History has said documented it many times - animals leave their homes before earthquakes. In Ancient Greece, there were reports of snakes, rats, and other animals leaving their homes days before a huge earthquake struck.
It is hard to tell if this is real or not, but it is said that animals can sense an earthquake seconds before humans can as they can feel smaller waves more so than us. This fact may give you a heads up of a few seconds, so make sure to get to a doorway.
If animals are running towards you, they could be running from a fire
Wildlife tends to steer clear of us humans, so if you see them running towards you, then you know something is wrong. Usually, when animals are coming at you they are running from a wildfire of some sort.
Smaller animals can burrow underground to try and save themselves, but horses, deer, and other such animals are not as lucky and need to run to get away from the flames.
Watch out if your hair stands on end
Lightning strikes are indeed a rare occurrence, but statistics do say that more people die from lightning strikes than shark bites so there are more than we thought.
If you hair starts to stand up it could very well mean lightning is about to strike very close to where you are. If you can't get to a safe space, get as low to the ground as you can but touch the ground as little as you can.
A hurricane is coming if sharks swim deeper
Sharks tend to keep close to the surface of the ocean. However, when hurricanes are impending, they swim deeper in the ocean as they sense the drop in barometric pressure that comes with a hurricane.
Unlike movies like Jaws, sharks look out for their safety over eating people. They go where the danger is minimal and they can find meaty ocean creatures to feast on.
If you hear a rush of running water, get to high ground
If there has been a lot of rain in the area all of a sudden and you hear a rush of water, you should get to higher ground as soon as possible. What is mostly likely to happen is a flood of water coming in your direction.
Floods are the second most fatal form of severe weather in the United States. Flash floods happen when it rains heavily for a long time after it had not rained in a while as well. They come on quickly and are very powerful.
If golden-winged warblers are nowhere to be seen, a storm is coming
If golden-winged warblers start to fly away and disappear, it means a tornado is on its way. In April 2014, researchers followed these birds in Tennessee when they took off and could not be found anymore.
The researchers ended up tracking them to Florida. Several days later, the birds came back to Tennessee. The researchers think that the birds heard the storm's low-frequency infrasound and so decided to leave the area.
A ring around the sun can tell you the weather tomorrow
Rings around the sun when looking at it during the day are formed when a super thin and high cirrus clouds are formed in the atmosphere. The clouds created by small ice crystals that break up and reflect the sun, thus making the halo.
However, since these clouds come before a storm usually, the ring you see can be a sign of impending rain that is going to stay for a day or two.
If you see dead fish on the beach, stay out of the water
One dead fish on the shore does not mean much, but if you see several, then it could signal that there is something toxic in the water. Dead sea life on the beach can mean a red tide is in the water by the shore.
Red tides are caused by toxic algae that turn the water brownish red (but not all the time). If you end up going into the water, you could feel your throat getting scratchy, a cough coming on, or breathing issues. You should rinse off immediately if you were exposed.
If your dog pays a lot of attention to a certain part of your body, go get it checked out
Dogs have an incredible sense of smell. While they cannot speak to us, when they pay a lot of attention to a certain part of us, we should not ignore it. Dogs have been known to have the ability to sniff out cancer.
Scientists have learned that dogs smell cancerous compounds in human urine and can distinguish between a healthy and ill individual. Listen to your dog if they are giving a certain part of you a lot of attention!
Cracked snow under your feet means an avalanche is coming
Avalanches are devastating acts of nature. They are fast and impossible to hide from unless you find shelter. Take note if the snow under your feet seems hollow or is cracked below.
This could mean an avalanche is on its way as there have been significant temperature differences in the days prior which could lead to an avalanche. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled.
Unusual roaring from the ocean means go somewhere high
The ocean produces a calm and relaxing sounds most of the time, so if you suddenly hear a loud roar from the ocean, you should find high ground as soon as possible. The roar from the ocean could very well be a tsunami heading your way.
A tsunami usually happens from an earthquake on the ocean floor, but as we know, an asteroid caused a tsunami some 3.5 million years ago which which changed Earth's history, so there are always exceptions.
Green skies mean bad weather is ahead
A green sky is seen in the sky when a thunderstorm turns that color as a result of the sun's red light mixing with the blue light of the storm itself. The green means this thundercloud is very high and charged with hail and a possible tornado.
Green is not always a good sign in nature and this is exactly what we mean by that. Get into a closed place when you see these clouds rolling in.
Watch out for lakes near volcanoes in hot places
If a lake is in a hot place that does not cool and is also near a volcano, it could mean that its environment is like a shaken soda bottle waiting to fizz all over the place. The volcanos magma under the earth's surface may be pushing carbon dioxide into the bottom of the lake water where a lot of pressure is building.
Since it is hot all the time, the lake never mixes it and the gas stays dormant. But if the lake was to be disturbed, a limnic eruption could take place and kill everything in its path.
If you see square wave structures, get out of the water
Square waves are not even a possibility unless wave systems continue on their regular path when high winds are happening. This makes it very dangerous for swimmers, ships, and surfers alike.
This cross sea means that under the surface there is a super strong current that can take you out to sea. The water is hard to get through and can have people drown and ships wrecked on their way. The Isle of Rhe in France is known for these waves.
If you see this hole in the sky, don't get near the area below it
These are fallstreak holes, also known as punch hole clouds. These clouds form in the middle to high cloud level and are made of tiny water droplets that are surrounded by well below freezing temperatures yet have not been frozen yet.
The ice crystals enlarge and begin to fall, making the water droplets around the crystals evaporate. This then leaves a big hole in the cloud which is what you see right here.
Watch out for the patch of J-shaped trees on a slope
If you have been hiking around and seen these J-shaped trees, then you walked out of a very dangerous situation. The J-shaped trees are a warning sign for an impending landslide.
The ground is moving downward slowly so the roots of the trees are moving, causing this look of the trees to take place. Another sign of a probably landslide is cracking ground. If there was a landslide in that location in the past, it is likely to happen again.