Evacuated human homes double as refugee camps for
wildlife during hurricane season. Covered porches substitute
for tree cavities in a pinch. Rafters under stilt-houses are safe,
dry places for animals to stay during a storm. Raised homes
on higher ground act as massive wooden umbrellas for any
non-climbers. Even tied-up kayaks have assisted wildlife
during hurricanes. I observed flocks of house finches use
them at Mingo Point when Irma was underway. Wildlife
isn’t picky; they’ll take what they can get!
While some of our land animals are running for cover,
others are staying put in their usual habitats. Alligators and
sliders can still be found lounging in ponds as hurricanes
approach. Ground snakes and lizards hang out in piles of
dead tree branches and leaves. When the floodwaters come,
these animals get the most-likely-to-float-away superlative.
The is not all bad for alligators and sliders as long as they are
not washed out into the saltwater habitats that surround the
Island. Once in a marsh or the ocean, they often have a hard
time navigating back to freshwater and, like humans, can die
from extended exposure to saltwater.
Snakes and lizards go for a ride when their refuse-pile
homes float across the Lowcountry in floodwaters. Their
homes-turned-life-rafts could wash out into saltwater
habitats, posing the same issues the gators and turtles face. Or
they could wash ashore miles from home, where it is likely the
snakes and lizards will take up new residence. Diamondback
rattlesnakes, for example, have mysteriously shown up on our
beaches immediately following hurricanes in recent years.
For those snakes and lizards that were caught by flood waters
when they were not at home, survival necessitates swimming
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to the nearest floating object, whatever that may be. Nor
are reptiles alone while they float across the Lowcountry.
Ant colonies build rafts of their bodies when floodwaters
swamp their nests, drifting until the tough times pass. All of
these floating creatures can survive their hurricane cruises,
but, should they wash into flooded streets, they may find
themselves in the paths of desperate humans making a last-
minute getaway. Over the past three years on Kiawah, several
alligators have met their fate under the tires of cars of those
escaping on flooded roads.
As the alligators and turtles are settling in their ponds for
a storm, denning animals, like bobcats, foxes, rabbits, mice,
and box turtles, nestle snugly into their underground homes.
This could go several ways. The den could be in an optimal
location and resist flooding when the high tides come to town.
Or, the den could flood, forcing the animals from their home
into raging weather. The den could also resist flooding, but
fallen debris could block the entryway, trapping the animals.
Or, everything could go just fine, but the denning animals
might suddenly realize they have new den mates, as other non-
denning, stranded animals invite themselves in out of the rains.
Regardless, seeking refuge in underground bunkers during
a Lowcountry hurricane has high risks, in which case these
animals might be found under your evacuated beach house.
Fortunately, not every animal is stranded when a hurricane
vacations on Kiawah. Birds, dolphin, sharks, and fish all
usually make a break for it. Cued in by dropping air pressure,
many birds, not just shorebirds, will get out of Dodge as soon
as possible, taking flight on the headwinds of approaching
hurricanes. Pelagic species will often ride the winds into the
Naturally Kiawah