Alligators Swim Through Streets as Hurricane Helene Hits Florida

Reports of alligators swimming through Sarasota streets after Hurricane Helene struck Florida have started to surface on social media.
Helene made landfall late Thursday night, about 10 miles west of the city of Perry, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The storm was a Category 4 hurricane at the time, with maximum sustained winds of around 140 mph. The storm brought a life-threatening storm surge, devastating winds and torrential rain to the area, which contributed to excessive flooding in several Florida cities. Six people have died from the storm, the Associated Press reported.
The storm quickly moved through the Sunshine State and is now a tropical storm, with winds of 60 mph in Georgia and South Carolina. But flooding and power outages remain, along with news of displaced wildlife such as alligators swimming in public areas.
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In a newscast Thursday night, an ABC reporter cited reports of alligators swimming through some flooded streets and warned people not to venture out into the floodwaters.
“We’ve actually been seeing some people swimming through the area, alligators swimming through the area,” the reporter said, adding that her producer just told her they’ve seen the alligators. “This is another reason you don’t want to get into this mess. My friend likes to call it Jurassic Florida.”
Many posts on X (formerly Twitter) about the event said that the alligators were seen in Sarasota. Newsweek reached out to the city of Sarasota and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) by email for comment.
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It is common for strong hurricanes to displace wildlife, and the FWC issued a warning in 2022 that alligators, snakes and bears could be seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, which hit southwest Florida as a Category 4 storm in September of that year.
“You may be more likely to see alligators, snakes and bears, so remember to stay alert and give them space,” the FWC said in a statement at the time, Newsweek reported.
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The severe weather conditions associated with strong hurricanes can disorient wildlife, and flooding related to a storm allows some wildlife to relocate to unusual areas, such as the flooded streets of Sarasota.
Florida is home to 1.3 million alligators. Although they rarely attack humans, they can become aggressive if stressed or provoked. The severe weather conditions may mean the animals pose more of a threat to humans than usual.
Experts urge people not to venture out into floodwaters during or after a hurricane, as water accounts for 90 percent of deaths from hurricanes, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said on its website.