"Lightning never strikes the same place twice" & Other Weather Myths

Artist extraordinaire James Grasdal is putting the finishing touches on the 13^th book in the Superman Duffy comic series—MYTHCONCEPTIONS. Which, you may have guessed has a little something to do with common “myths.” I love myths! So for this year’s A to Z Blogging Challenge, I’m going to “bust” as many of them as I can—every day (except Sundays) on the blog, throughout April.

Not familiar with the A to Z Challenge? Get the details here, and then hang on, because I’m about to blow your mind with my myth-inspired posts. (P.S. Comment on the blogs throughout the month for a chance to WIN a complete set of the Superman Duffy comics, including lucky #13, MYTHCONCEPTIONS.)

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MYTH: Lightning never strikes the same place twice.

Definitely a myth. Just last year, for example, Gordon “Lightning” Smith beat me TWICE in a track and field race—same track. Oh…uh…you’re probably thinking of a different kind of lightning, right?

Well, that’s a myth too. You don’t need to conduct a scientific study of lightning to know that it can—and has—struck the same place twice—everything from the Empire State Building (which is struck 100 times a year!) to several reported cases of people being struck twice. Terrible odds, yes, but not impossible as we’ve been led to believe.

But if debunking that myth zaps your curiosity, you’ll be shocked by some of the other “odd” weather myths I’ve dug up.

Obviously weather is really important to agriculture producers. My grandpa’s canola farm, for instance, has been affected by drought and flood. There are things producers can do to minimize the effects of unfavourable conditions, but not even my grandpa’s Farmers’ Almanacs can accurately predict the weather. That hasn’t stopped people—including me—from believing everything from the slightly silly to the downright outrageous.

Here are some of my farm-inspired favourites.

MYTH: If a rooster crows at night, there will be rain by morning.

Actually, even the idea that roosters crow only in the morning is a myth. Roosters crow whenever they want—day or night.

MYTH: When dogs eat grass, there will be rain by morning.

Absolute myth. Almost all dogs will eat a little grass from time to time, especially when they have an upset tummy. Vets believe that the texture of grass helps to induce vomiting when a dog feels nauseated. Of course, none of this has anything to do with the weather.

MYTH: Pigs gather leaves and straw before a storm.

Hogwash! Like many animals, pigs like to nest. Gathering leaves, straw and other soft materials is an extension of that instinct—but has nothing to do with predicting the weather.

MYTH: Birds on a telephone wire predict the coming of rain.

Not exactly. If you live in an area with enough wires and birds, “odds” are you’ll see birds roosting—any time of day. That said, birds will “stop over” in an area to wait out a storm in their path, so if you suddenly see a lot of birds in your area, you might want to grab an umbrella.

Tomorrow officially marks the half-way point of the #AtoZChallenge. How many blogs have you visited? Gotta jet! I hope to see you back here tomorrow for my “M” myth post.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

P.S. Comment on this post, or share it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for a chance to WIN a complete set of the Superman Duffy comics. A winner will be chosen at random on May 1.