Can cows predict a hurricane is coming? Debunking one of Florida's strangest superstitions
The 2025 Hurricane Season is right around the corner, and it's never too early to prepare. Just a week ago, on Monday, March 17, the National Hurricane Center issued an advisory about a "non-tropical area of low pressure" in the Atlantic.
But as you prepare for the hurricane season in the coming months, remembering what's fact and fiction about major storms is important. Some superstitions are harmless, but others can cost you money.
Some Floridians believe harmless weather-related superstitions; like believing a waterspout can be broken with the wave of a knife, or that sparrows hiding under roof ledges means an impending hurricane. But other storm-related beliefs – like taping your windows before a hurricane or using your washing machine as a cooler – can become a safety issue, or cost you money.
This week, InsureandGo, a British travel insurance company, released a study on the strangest superstitions from around the world. The U.S. portion of the study was broken down into state-by-state superstitions and Florida's, of course, relates to hurricanes.
Here's what Florida's 'strangest superstition' is, according to the study, if it's true, a list of hurricane superstitions and some hurricane preparedness myths to steer clear of.
See what to expect: National Hurricane Center lays out changes coming for 2025 season.
To find the strangest superstition in each country and U.S. state, InsureandGo analyzed Google searches and local resources to find common superstitions and beliefs in each place.
'Those that were the most unique and unusual were selected, to reveal the most interesting superstitions from around the world,' the study says.
According to the study, the most interesting superstition in Florida is the belief that when cows hold their tails upright, it's a sign that a hurricane is coming.
Cows actually move and hold their tails out for a variety of different reasons, like to poop, or when they're running or being playful.
'You can get clues to a cow's mood and condition by observing the tail. When the tail is hanging straight down, the cow is relaxed, grazing, or walking, but when the tail is tucked between the cow's legs, it means the animal is cold, sick, or frightened,' According to Berkeley.
'During mating, threat, or investigation, the tail hangs away from the body. When galloping, the tail is held straight out, and a kink can be observed when the animal is in a bucking, playful mood.'
It's also commonly believed that cattle lie down before a storm, which doesn't have any scientific evidence to support it. Cows lay down to rest and chew their cud. One theory suggests that cows can sense when the moisture in the air increases and lay down to preserve a dry patch of grass.
The 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season will begin on Sunday, June 1, and end on Sunday, Nov. 30.
Hurricane myths and superstitions are abundant in the southeast.
Quake Kare, a Missouri-based company that manufactures and supplies ER Emergency Ready disaster preparedness kits and supplies, has a list of common hurricane-related superstitions.
Here's the list:
Some sailors believe that St. Elmo's fire is a hurricane warning from Mother Nature. The spectacle occurs at sea when the air is heavily charged with static electricity. It manifests in small balls of fire on the tips of yard arms and spars.
Before a hurricane hits coastal regions, dogs, cats and horses become restless and if not confined will run away.
When a cow carries its tail upright, it is a sign of a coming hurricane.
When sparrows hide under hedges or roof ledges, a hurricane is coming.
When an alligator opens his jaws with an extra-long bellow, a hurricane is imminent.
A bountiful citrus crop means no hurricanes will occur locally, but a bountiful mango crop means that a hurricane will occur locally.
Always carry a red onion in your pocket during hurricane season and you will survive any bad storm.
If you see a waterspout in the ocean, wave a butcher knife back and forth and the spout will break up and no storm will occur.
If a migrant bird lands at a spot that has been devastated by storms, it will continue onward looking for better stopover areas.
Weeds cut during hurricane season will stay gone, but not if cut at any other time of year.
2025 hurricane season: National Hurricane Center's 1st advisory of 2025 season should be wake-up call. Here's what to do
While the above list of myths are fairly harmless, other commonly believed myths about how to prepare for hurricanes can get you into trouble and cost you money.
Here's a couple of common misconceptions about hurricane preparation that could save you money and time this hurricane season:
Taping your windows to protect them: Some Floridians believe that taping a big X across their windows before a major storm will keep them from shattering in hurricane-force winds. But if your windows are not designed to withstand the impact of hurricane-force winds and the debris they pick up, the strongest tape on the market can't even keep them from shattering during a storm. If you don't have hurricane windows or impact windows, built for severe weather conditions, taping them will do nothing. It could even be more dangerous. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), if a window is taped, when it breaks, the glass will shatter into large, life-threatening shards. FEMA says that if your window breaks, it's better for it to shatter into smaller pieces of glass that are less likely to seriously injure you.
Don't use your washing machine as a cooler: You may have heard of people filling their washing machines with ice during storm prep. Some swear that it's a convenient way to repurpose your washing machine into a cooler to keep food and drinks from spoiling when the power goes out. It seems like a great idea at first thought; the washing machine has a built-in drain for when the ice melts, after all. But TikTok creator Renae, @renduh, an appliance tech who used to live in Florida, posted a video during hurricane season 2023 to warn viewers that it's unsanitary and could ruin your washing machine.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Hurricane Season 2025 storm myths, superstitions not to fall for
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