Debbie Corpuz knows only too wall how a twist of fate can wreak havoc on creatures of all kinds. An animal-lover and Anahola resident of Kauai, Corpuz will never forget the night a deadly flash flood hit her hometown in 1991. “I lost everything in the Anahola flood, my husband, my home, and 11 cats and two cars.”  She and her Rottweiler, Baby, fought for their lives. 

Corpuz clung to the luggage rack atop her car in the middle of a raging river. Within an hour, she was rescued. But Baby was still stuck inside the car. Four hours later, rescuers returned to find the dog—who had miraculously wriggled her way through the car window to the luggage rack.

Many people and pets can sense danger before it hits. Read on and decide for yourself…

HURRICANE FLOODING
Past:  Nearly 15 years later, after the Anahola flood in Hawaii, a Category 5 hurricane hit the mainland. This time, more than 1.3 million people (and their pets) endured Hurricane Katrina and its unforgettable catastrophic aftermath. In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall more than once. Wind, rain, and storm surges caused panic and chaos—some people sensed mega disaster ahead. Fifty-three levee breaches in New Orleans put 80% of the city under water. At least 1,836 people died. Katrina left 3 million people without electricity, countless others homeless. The flooding was considered the worst catastrophe in America’s history. 

Present:  Midwest June ‘08 floods due to record rainfall, overflowing rivers, and old levees is an ongoing disaster. This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts 2 to 5 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5). The NOAA’s Atlantic hurricane season outlook will be updated the first week of August—before the peak period. For more information, visit The National Hurricane Center  www.nhc.noaa.gov/

WILDFIRES
Past: Like the Katrina disaster, experts and locals knew years ago South Lake Tahoe was a wildfire time bomb with its droughts and terrain. The Angora Fire that hit in June 2007 still lingered in locals’ and tourists’ minds in August--it left scars on the land as well in peoples’ hearts.

Present: This year, the entire state of California has been declared a “state of emergency.” The weekend of June 21, approximately 1,200 reported fires linked to the dry lightning was an “all-time record” for California. The unhealthy air quality affected Northern and Central California and Oregon. Fire season will be a long, fiery ordeal. Visit the National Weather Service website www.wrh.noaa.gov/mso/fireweather.  

EARTHQUAKES
Past: Deadly wildfires happen just as deadly quakes happen. The ground shook August 17, 1999, in Izmit,Turkey. “When the total eclipse of the sun passed over Turkey on August 11, I warned people that Turkey and India were especially vulnerable to a big, tidally triggered earthquake,” recalls Calif., geologist Jim Berkland.  The 7.6 Izmit quake  killed more than 15,000 people.

Present:  July 29-August 5 is a primary seismic window, a time when shakers are most likely to hit worldwide, according to Berkland who monitors strange animal behavior, lunar cycles and tides: the New Moon is on August 1.  He also predicts a 4.5 may hit Hawaii.

 TORNADOES
Past:  Earthquake predictors and sensitives, human or animal, may also sense oncoming twisters. At noon on a stormy spring day in Austin, Texas, several household cats started acting strangely. “I was in bed watching the weather on TV,” recalls cat owner Janet Shon. “My cats wanted to hide underneath the covers.” The heavy rains and howling winds continued, causing panic in her house full of pets. She put them in carriers to calm them, and took cover under the stairwell. Several hours later, on May 27, 1997, and F-5 tornado, with winds measuring over 260 mph, touched down 40 miles to North of Shon in Jarrell, Texas. Twenty-seven people died.

Present: May, June and July are tornado months—but twisters can hit anytime, anywhere. While twisters aren’t as common in summer months--they can strike in August. The Storm Prediction Center issues watches. For information, log onto www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/forecasting. So, since scientists admit they aren’t able to reliably predict natural disasters, is it really so far-fetched to monitor pets and wildlife and our own gut instincts?

Cal Orey is the author of The Healing Powers of Vinegar, Revised and Updated, The Healing Powers of Olive Oil and SuperSensitives: Can You Sense Danger and The Man Who Predicts Earthquakes. Log onto her website at www.calorey.com