Did Your Pet Sense that Hurricane Irene Was Coming?

Did Riverhead seem slightly quieter to you on Sunday morning? Were the sounds of animals rustling in the leaves and birds chirping suddenly missing as Tropical Storm Irene appraoched?

It is a prevalent opinion that animals have a sixth sense that help them to detect when a storm or natural disaster is approaching. But is that a view based in fact or fiction?

There are a variety of views regarding this subject online. Here are some of the very best:

1) From the Discovery channel's How Stuff Works website:

The majority of researchers do not claim animals have ESP or a sixth sense. What they are saying is that animals make greater use of their existing five senses, especially when compared to humans. 

The site continues to say that animals' more developed hearing may help them to pick up on sound vibrations in the Earth that alert them to seek safety.

2) PBS Nature's website cites ecologist Whit Gibbons:

I do not doubt that many animals detect certain natural signals, such as the early tremblings of an earthquake, long before humans. This means they have opportunity to react before we can. But to think they are reacting any differently from someone who runs for an exit at a shout of ‘fire’ is to give wildlife more credit than is deserved.

3) The Dog Behaviour Advice website:

First, there is the drop in air pressure that dogs can feel indicating a storm is on its way. Dogs also sense the air and ground pressure waves, again a prelude to an imminent storm. Another is the change in air smell as well as the ionic air change along with the un-nerving static electrical charge that all dogs can feel. As the storm approaches, there is the increase in wind speed along with sound of intense rain or even hailstones. Finally, there is the lighting and the resulting thunder as the storm arrives.