Other the other hand, if you are seeing birds flying and animals running, there may be a chance that there is a wildfire in the distance. There are some animals though, such as amphibians, who stay in the area of the fire and just burrow themselves in the ground to escape it.
Obviously larger animals like the ones pictured above do not have this luxury and have to find safer ground.
If a Bee Stings You Near a Hive, Find Shelter
Almost all of us know the importance of not swatting at bees when they are swarming around us because they will feel threatened. Bees are usually attracted to anything that smells sweet and is a bright color. People do unfortunately get stung sometimes.
Did you know that a dead honey bee emits pheromones that let nearby bees know they should attack? If you’re near a hive and get stung, you’ll want to run, and run fast. You’ll want to find the closest shelter possible and try to avoid swatting at the bees following you.
If There Are Dead Fish on the Shore, Don't Go in the Water
It is not uncommon to see a dead animal washed up on the shore of the beach, but it should be alarming to you if you see several fish and/or other dead animals on shore. This is a telling sign that the water may be toxic. It’s very possible that “red tide”, which is when the water is filled with more toxic algae than normal. It can cause the water to become a reddish or brown color, other times the color may not change at all.
There is one particular algae species that causes them in the Gulf of Mexico called Karenia Brevis. If you go into these contaminated waters, you are likely to experience respiratory irritation like coughing and/or an itchy throat. However, if you rinse off in fresh water the symptoms are likely to disappear.
If There Are Bands in the Sky, Run to a Basement
If you are outside watching the clouds graze by and you see a long streak of rotating clouds, you are about to find that you are seeing the first signs of a large thunderstorm, or even worse, a tornado. Get indoors immediately and make your way to the basement just in case.
These streaks are what we call “inflow bands” and their presence is an indicator that the storm is drawing in low-level air from a long distance. These storms typically stretch to the southeast or south of the storm and are usually low in the sky. There are professional storm spotters who keep an eye out for them to see if a tornado is coming and they will then warn people who reside in that area to stay away from windows and get to the lowest level in their homes.
Green Skies Mean Harsh Weather Is on the Way
Have you ever seen the sky turn a green color before? If you have, you know that it means a thunderstorm is brewing. The reason the sky turns green is that the sun’s red light is intermingling with the blue light under the storm. The color green means that the thundercloud is very large and is a warning that a tornado or hailstorm may be coming very soon.
If you ever happen to find yourself staring up at the green sky, it’s important that you find coverage as soon as possible. You don’t want to be stuck in the midst of a storm like that. In the event that the storm turns into a tornado, you want to get to your basement as soon as possible. You’ll want to keep checking the news to see what kind of storm is going to pass through because it isn’t going to be pretty.