Atlantis Rising Part Two: Argentine City Once Submerged Beneath Water Resurfaces

(Photo Courtesy of Natacha Pisarenko and Newser)

Like the ghostly specter of the Apocalypse, a city in Argentina once completely submerged beneath water has risen from its watery grave, similar to a town in Indiana that resurfaced during last summer's unbelievable drought.

Almost thirty years ago, the town of Epecuen was a bustling, lakeside resort of over two thousand residents, many who catered to tourists and vacationers who flocked to the area during the country's "Golden Age" to escape the hustle and bustle of the capital city of Buenos Aires, some 500 kilometers away. This was decades before the virtual collapse of the Argentine economy and devaluation of the nation's monetary unit the peso. People came in droves to take advantage of the town's saltwater baths and spas, which were reported to have curative medicinal qualities.

After a series of extremely wet winters and a near record-breaking deluge of rain, the water of the lake began to overflow its banks on November 10, 1985. The water then burst through a retaining wall constructed to protect the town from flooding and began to spill into the streets of Epecuen. The town's citizens ran for their lives, grabbing only what they could as they fled their homes. Within days, the once-lovely tourist Mecca was submerged beneath more than 10 meters (33 feet) of highly-corrosive salt water.

Fast forward 28 years and the town of Epecuen—almost totally lost and forgotten to history—has experienced a rebirth. Due to continued dramatic changes in the climate, most of the waters that had enshrouded the town for almost thirty years have now receded, revealing a spooky, post-Apocalyptic vision, with abandoned streets strewn with the detritus of a past civilization: rusted out automobiles, corroded homes and businesses, and water-logged trees and wooden electrical poles.

Now, the town is back on the tourist map. Thousands of people are now returning to Epecuen—not to enjoy its once- famous spa baths, but to take photographs of the eerie, alien landscape, which now resembles a set for a zombie movie. (I'm sure it won't be too long before someone—I'm talking to you Eli Roth—films a horror flick here.)

Nightmare Earth: Bizarre Phenomenon Creates "Spider Rain" in Brazil

 

Warning....this story is not for the squeamish or faint of heart!

A purely strange phenomenon that took place in Brazil this week is quickly going viral across the Internet. It appears that it decided to "rain spiders" in the town of  Santa Antonio de Plantina in Parana, Brazil! Video from the scene shows thousands of the icky arachnids, floating in the air above a group of houses and telephone poles, as if they were coming down in the most nightmarish rain storm possible! The spiders are actually floating along a large net of webs they have created.

Screen caps and photographs of the spine-tingling spectacle can barely do the scene justice. The man taking the video, 20-year-old web designer Erick Reis,  keeps repeating "It's raining spiders," in Portuguese over and over again. You can hear the shrieks and nervous laughter of other witnesses taking in the Apocalyptic event. (Was "raining spiders" one of the Ten Plagues of Egypt?)

Brazilian news site G1 is reporting that the spider is of the species  Anelosimus eximius, a "social" spider native to parts of Central and South America. A local biologist characterized the behavior as "normal". Yes, seeing how the locals observing the scene couldn't believe what they were witnessing and I'm sure their eyes bugged out of their heads, this is definitely "normal, every day behavior"! 

If you have a fear of spiders or any other creepy-crawlies, do yourself a favor and Do Not watch the following video!

My theory: The spiders are exhibiting reactive behaviors to potentially great changes in their environment, as they can sense the slightest alterations, unlike people.