This story was originally published by Inside Climate News.
Hurricanes Milton and Helene killed dozens of people, destroyed full neighborhoods and left many without power or water. But humans aren’t the only ones affected by these devastating storms.
Gale-force winds, storm surge and intense flooding disrupted wildlife across the animal kingdom—from black bears in North Carolina to manatees in Florida.
Many animals have specialized adaptations or strategies to adapt to hurricanes, which have been a natural part of the weather system since time immemorial. However, climate change fuels more intense tropical storms, and scientists are concerned that a number of animals won’t survive their destructive paths.
From skies to seas
When Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida at the end of September, researchers spotted an unusual blob on the weather radar. They concluded that it was likely a large flock of birds trapped within the eye of the storm—a relatively tranquil area surrounded by strong winds that would be virtually impossible for the animals to fly through unscathed, Vox reports. Research shows that this type of bird-filled bubble is not unusual at the heart of a cyclone, and that avian species can survive if they remain there until the storm subsides.
For the most part, birds are experts at hunkering down or fleeing during a hurricane, but not every species is lucky enough to find refuge. Storms can fling birds such as petrels, songbirds or egrets into new places, where they may struggle to find food or habitat. Storms are particularly harmful for nesting birds. For example, when Hurricane Beryl hit Texas in August, storm surge and heavy winds decimated entire nesting colonies for species such as black skimmers and least terns.
Different scenes are playing out underwater. In Florida, some of the most common creatures stirred up during storms are alligators. Last week, officials warned locals to stay away from floodwaters or ponds in the wake of Hurricane Milton, where wildlife could be hiding beneath the surface. Residents have spotted gators in some unexpected places—from home gyms to submerged streets, NBC News reports.
Other animals are not as well equipped to roam the streets after being displaced by a hurricane. Following Helene, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission received several reports of stranded or dead eastern hellbenders, a rare species of salamander that is frequently washed out of their riverine habitats during floods, which my colleague Lisa Sorg wrote about in July. In Florida, the storm trapped four manatees in a cemetery pond in Key Largo after they reached it via floodwaters, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
“As Florida natives, manatees are well-adapted to the extreme weather events in our state,” reads a press release from the nonprofit Save the Manatee Club. “However, they do face significant risk during powerful storms. Storm surges can cause manatees to go far inland to areas they would not normally inhabit, where they can become trapped when the water recedes.”
Winners and losers
The two recent hurricanes largely spared coral reefs, which are both natural barriers against storm surge and victims of it. Strong ocean waves may shatter corals, while pollutants such as sewage or toxic chemicals can spill into the sea and harm reefs following a hurricane, a problem I dove into last week.
But not every species is vulnerable to the whims of a hurricane. When a storm is building in the ocean, atmospheric and water pressure plummets, which sharks likely detect through different sensory organs, research suggests. This gives the ocean predators time to escape to calmer waters before churning seas can threaten them. In some cases, tiger sharks have been known to stay behind or show up during and after a hurricane, likely to feed on the dead animals left behind, according to a 2021 study.
Meanwhile, stagnant floodwaters can create mini-habitats where mosquitoes thrive. That’s bad news for us humans; research shows post-hurricane mosquito booms can carry diseases like dengue and malaria. Hurricane Helene also impacted a number of underground nests of yellow jackets and bees, prompting a surge in requests for Benadryl and epinephrine injections to help mitigate allergic reactions, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. These types of threats are part of the reason that hurricanes typically kill thousands of people long after the storm subsides.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
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