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.
More Top Climate News
A recent study finds that certain climate-fueled extreme weather events may be linked to an uptick in domestic violence against women. Analyzing more than two decades’ worth of surveys from more than 156 countries, researchers found a clear connection between storms, landslides and floods, and a higher number of partner violence reports, particularly in low-income countries.
“Climate-related disasters increase stress and food insecurity in families in ways that can lead to increases in violence,” study author Jenevieve Mannell, a professor at the University College London, said in a press release. “They also reduce the social services often available for dealing with partner violence, such as police and civil society who are more focused on the disaster.”
Meanwhile, E&E News contacted more than 40 GOP members of the House and Senate last week to see if they believed “the severity of the storms were exacerbated by global warming and if those storms would motivate lawmakers to endorse reducing greenhouse gas emissions.” Only four Republicans responded—and none of them noted a climate link. A spokesperson for U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace—who represents coastal Charleston and is a member of the Conservative Climate Caucus—told E&E that the congresswoman is “a strong advocate for bipartisan action on extreme weather and clean energy, but she’s also clear-eyed about Biden-Harris and the Left’s reckless climate spending.”
Severe drought in Zambia has disrupted hydropower in the country, causing the worst electricity blackouts in modern history across the region, Jacob Zimba reports for The Associated Press. Located at the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, the Kiriba dam provides more than 80 percent of national electricity for Zambia, but is currently operating at less than 10 percent of its usual capacity. This has cascading effects on locals, disrupting education and healthcare systems.
Students at the University of California San Diego are now required to take a course in climate change to graduate, Katharine Gammon reports for The Guardian. The course must cover two of four different climate-related areas, including science, human impacts, mitigation strategies and project-based learning. The qualifying class options are diverse across different subjects—from “Energy Economics” to “Environmentalism in Arts and Media.” This is part of a growing push to integrate climate change more deeply into higher education, including medical schools, which I wrote about in May.
Kenya is relocating 50 elephants from a national reserve to a larger park due to overpopulation, a sign that conservation measures to protect these animals are working, Nicholas Kamu reports for The Associated Press. Elephant populations in the Mwea National Park have more than tripled since 1979, jumping from 49 elephants to 156.
“This shows that poaching has been low and the elephants have been able to thrive,” Kenya Wildlife Service Director General Erustus Kanga told The Associated Press.
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Kiley Price is a reporter at Inside Climate News, with a particular interest in wildlife, ocean health, food systems and climate change. She writes ICN’s “Today’s Climate” newsletter, which covers the most pressing environmental news each week.
She earned her master’s degree in science journalism at New York University, and her bachelor’s degree in biology at Wake Forest University. Her work has appeared in National Geographic, Time, Scientific American and more. She is a former Pulitzer Reporting Fellow, during which she spent a month in Thailand covering the intersection between Buddhism and the country’s environmental movement.
