Alligators and snakes lurk in Florida floodwaters after Hurricane Milton
Florida wildlife experts are warning locals in areas battered by Hurricanes Helene and Milton to avoid dark floodwaters for a hair-raising reason: Alligators and snakes.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida wildlife experts are warning locals in areas battered by Hurricanes Helene and Milton to avoid dark floodwaters for a hair-raising reason: alligators and snakes.
Residents who have returned home after fleeing the storms have discovered gators wandering their halls and snakes in their neighborhoods, pushed in by currents from Hurricane Milton, which struck Siesta Key, south of Tampa Bay, as a Category 3 storm on Oct. 9.
“The water pretty much pushed them obviously out of their pond areas. They’re going with the flow,” Rene Walker of Tampa Bay Rescues, an animal rescue and conservation organization, told NBC News.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wrote on X after Milton hit: “Some wildlife, such as alligators, snakes, and bears are more likely to be seen after a storm. Be aware, keep your distance, and give all wild animals space.”
“I would absolutely be concerned about what’s out there. I would not go in dark water. I would be extremely cautious,” Walker added. She warned that alligators don’t want to be near people, but if someone tries to grab them, they will snap at them.
Rating: 5