Case File #012: The Oakville Blobs – The Day It Rained Cells
Status: Unresolved – Environmental & Biological Anomaly
Date Filed: August 7, 1994
Last Reviewed: May 31, 2025
Location: Oakville, Washington, USA
Subjects: Oakville Residents – Anonymous Biological Substance
Filed Under: Biological Mystery – Unidentified Aerial Event – Health Impact
Access Level: Public with Limited CDC References
Introduction: It Rained, and Then They Got Sick
At approximately 3:00 AM on August 7, 1994, the town of Oakville, Washington, was hit by a strange rain. But this was no ordinary storm. Instead of water, residents described a gelatinous, jelly-like substance falling from the sky. It was sticky, semi-transparent, and clung to surfaces like mucus.
Over the next 24 hours, people began falling violently ill. Flu-like symptoms, fatigue, shortness of breath, and vertigo spread like wildfire. Even animals, including household pets, began to sicken and die.
Samples were sent to labs. What they found only made things worse:
The blobs contained human white blood cells—and possibly, living organisms.
But where they came from remains a complete mystery.
The First Storm
The initial incident occurred before sunrise. Officer David Lacey of the Oakville Police Department was patrolling in the early hours when his windshield was suddenly coated in slime. He pulled over to clean it and described the substance as “gooey and jelly-like,” forcing him to wear gloves because of how unnatural it felt.
Six times in three weeks, the blobs rained down on Oakville. They weren’t isolated to one street or neighborhood—they blanketed the town. Fields, roads, rooftops, even window sills were coated in the strange gelatin.
Locals collected samples in jars and Ziploc bags. They noticed the substance would often evaporate within a few hours—leaving no residue, only confusion.
The Sickness Begins
Almost immediately after the first rain, dozens of people began experiencing sudden and severe symptoms. Some collapsed. Others were rushed to the emergency room with extreme nausea, blurred vision, muscle fatigue, and respiratory distress.
One of the most notable cases was Dotty Hearn, who was found collapsed in her home hours after exposure. Her daughter and son-in-law had both come into contact with the blobs and became ill shortly after.
Doctors were baffled. There were no bacterial or viral markers they could identify. The illness resembled a viral infection but progressed too fast and resisted standard treatment.
Even animals weren’t spared: cats, dogs, and livestock who came into contact with the blobs died suddenly.
Lab Analysis: The Unthinkable
Two separate labs examined samples of the Oakville blobs:
- Washington State Department of Health
The sample showed human white blood cells, but no explanation for how or why they were present. It was neither synthetic nor a natural weather phenomenon. - Amtest Laboratories in Tacoma
Lab tech Tim Davis confirmed the substance contained two types of bacteria, one of which exists in the human digestive system. He declared:
“This material had to have been manufactured by someone.”
A third analysis by a microbiologist found that the blobs were biologically active—a living organism of some kind—but no species match could be made.
The official report listed the findings as “inconclusive.” Case closed. But for Oakville residents, nothing had been resolved.
Theories
Like any true mystery, the Oakville incident attracted a wave of theories—some plausible, some horrifying:
1. Military Testing Gone Wrong
Oakville residents claimed to have seen military planes flying overhead during and before the blob rains. Some believe the town was inadvertently sprayed as part of a biowarfare simulation or weather manipulation experiment.
2. Waste Dump from an Aircraft
A common rumor was that the substance came from airplane toilet waste. However, FAA regulations use blue-dyed liquid in chemical toilets—these blobs were clear, odorless, and organic in nature. The FAA later confirmed:
“This material did not match any aviation waste.”
3. Jellyfish Theory
Another idea was that jellyfish remnants from ocean bombing exercises evaporated and rained down. Scientists quickly dismissed this.
Atmospheric conditions could not have lifted and re-deposited biomatter hundreds of miles inland.
4. Extraterrestrial Origin
Due to the biological complexity of the blobs and the presence of unidentified cells, some proposed an alien explanation—a form of biological seeding from the upper atmosphere or beyond.
No theory has ever been confirmed.
Aftermath and Suppression
Eventually, the rains stopped. But no official explanation was ever given. The CDC refused further comment on internal documents referencing the Oakville samples.
When Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests were submitted, the responses were either heavily redacted or delayed indefinitely.
To this day, no agency has taken responsibility.
The Broaddus family moved. Pets died. The town fell silent. But in the shadows, Oakville became a legend.
Cultural Legacy
The Oakville blobs have been featured on Unsolved Mysteries, podcasts, Reddit forums, and paranormal documentaries. They’re often listed alongside Roswell, Tunguska, and Dyatlov as true anomalies with biological components.
Conspiracy theorists link Oakville to MKUltra, chemtrails, HAARP, and even fungal mind control theories. Whatever the truth may be, one thing is clear:
Something fell on Oakville that wasn’t supposed to. And someone knows why.
Conclusion: It Wasn’t Just Rain
To this day, no samples have been preserved. No further analysis has been allowed. What rained down on Oakville was real—dozens were hospitalized, animals died, and no one was held accountable.
In the end, it didn’t matter what it was.
It fell. It vanished. And we were told to forget it.
References
All sources used in this case are listed in the References Archive. Each link corresponds to verified data, public records, or expert documentation.