Back in 1992, Neil Tenzer, DVM, of Miami, Florida recalls that his five cats felt Hurricane Andrew’s fury before it arrived on August 24, 1992. Amid the chaos of his family putting shutters on the windows and gathering canned food and candles, explains Tenzer, his cats grew curious and upset about the change in their environment. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a division of the United States Department of Commerce, this category 4 (with 5 being the highest rating) hurricane caused 58 deaths and approximately $27 billions in damage.

Many people and pets who live through terrible disasters—hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, or tornadoes believe they or their companion animals knew something before these disasters struck. But whether or not two-leggers or four-leggers can predict danger is still an open debate.

HURRICANES
Past: While Hurricane Dean was the most memorable Atlantic hurricane in 2007, Tropical Storm Barbara made landfall near the Mexico-Guatemala border on June 2. Heavy rainfall from the storm caused about $55 million in crop damage in south eastern Mexico. (Source: Wikipedia)

Present: The early summer hurricane season builds toward a peak sometime between mid-August and late October. The NOAA National Hurricane Center maintains a watch on cyclones over the Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and the Eastern Pacific from May 15 through November 30. A research team at Colorado State University forecasts 13 named storms, seven of them hurricanes—and three of those category 3 or greater.

EARTHQUAKES
Past: Geologist Jim Berkland in Glen Ellen (the man who predicted the 1989 World Series Earthquake that rumbled through San Francisco Bay Area) wrote in his July 2007 newsletter SYZYGY: “Cal Orey posted on my site www.syzygyjob.com on June 22, and called for a 5.0 plus of the coast of NorCal with a window of only forty-eight hours, which has no more than a one in fifty chance of being right.” A 5.1 quake rattled Northern California Coast Sunday at 7:32 p.m., June 24, 2007—two days before the Angora Fire at South Lake Tahoe upstaged the Golden State jolt. www.calorey.com/WomanPredictsQuakes.html

Present: June 1-8 is his primary seismic window: the New Moon is on June 3, maximum tide is 9.0 feet on June 4 at Golden Gate. This is a quake-prone period for SF Bay Area, Oregon/Washington, Southern California, and the Pacific Ring of Fire—as well as around the globe, according to Berkland.

WILDFIRES
Past: On June 26, 2007, at 2:45 p.m., due to the strong winds the South Lake Tahoe blaze jumped the containment line and forced hundreds to flee their homes. The Angora Fire was the largest fire in the Tahoe Basin in one hundred years. It destroyed 3,100 acres and more than 250 homes.

Present: Renowned psychic Dayle Schear of South Lake Tahoe reported in the Tahoe Daily Tribune that forest fires in the basin will be caused by lightning strikes during the summer. There is a 40 percent chance of above-normal temperatures for May-September, according to the National Weather Service. To keep up-to-date on wildfires in California and across the nation, go to the National Weather Service websitewww.wrh.noaa.gov/mso/fireweather

TORNADOES
Past: Last year, more than 1000 tornadoes were documented, with 81 deaths. It was the deadliest years for twisters in the U.S. since 1999. On June 23, 2007 a rare twister hit South of Baldur, Manitoba, Canada. The tornado, first a category F3 was upgraded to F5 and called Elie.

Present: Tornadoes can and do happen year-round anywhere these days—not just the Midwest like in films The Wizard of Oz or Twister. Remember The Day After Tomorrow with tornadoes in Los Angeles? In the U.S., only the National Weather Service issues tornado forecasts nationwide. The Storm Prediction Center issues watches, and more. For information, log onto www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/#forecasting.

Springtime Shakers, 2008
• 7.1 Macquarie Island Region, April 12
• 6.6 Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska April 16
• Offshore Oregon earthquake swarm, March-April
• 5.2 Illinois April 18
• 4.7 Nevada April 26 (Verdi-Mogul earthquake swarm, Feb-April+)
• 5.4 Northern California, April 30

Source: USGS

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