Florida was hit with a second major hurricane in two weeks.
Residents are starting to pick up the pieces.
And a Florida man opened his car door after the hurricane and got the shock of his life.
Flooding expands the habitat of wildlife in Florida
Hurricane Milton made landfall at Siesta Key, Florida as a Category 3 storm just weeks after Hurricane Helene slammed into the state.
Siesta Key is often ranked among the top 10 beaches in the United States.
Milton appeared like it could be one of the most devastating hurricanes to ever hit the state when it formed in the Gulf of Mexico, but it was downgraded before it made landfall.
“The storm was significant, but thankfully this was not the worst-case scenario,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said.
Tampa and areas south down the Gulf Coast experienced flooding from torrential rain and storm surge brought by Milton.
A man in North Fort Myers, Florida was driving through flood waters when an alligator shot out of the water and began to attack his tire.
“That was a big a** alligator that just bit our tire,” the man said. “Wait till we go back to this video. I hope I got it.”
“It was no little gator, either,” the man added.
The operator of a sanitation company in North Fort Myers, Florida, captured the moment when an alligator popped out of the water and bit at his van’s tire early Thursday morning as he traveled down a flooded street during Hurricane Milton. https://t.co/cYwX0tcKGI pic.twitter.com/OkUzjkG72u
— ABC News (@ABC) October 10, 2024
Environmental Education Awareness Research Support and Services founder Frank Robb told NewsNation that Floridians had to be on the lookout in the floodwaters.
“If you’re coastal, you have to worry about everything from stingrays to alligators, you know. If you’re in South Florida, you gotta think about crocodiles, snakes — of course,” Robb said. “It’s definitely something to be aware of and keep on your mind.”
Bellowing Acres Sanctuary alligator expert Christopher Gillette said that the large reptiles ride out hurricanes underwater where they can stay submerged for up to six hours.
“They just go in the water . . . through the hurricane these guys will be underwater,” Gillette explained. “That’s what they do in inclement weather like that – just sit at the bottom and wait it out.”
The hidden danger in the floodwaters after a hurricane
Alligators and snakes are scary, but they are not the biggest threat in floodwater.
The Florida Department of Health issued a warning that deadly bacteria could be in the floodwaters after the hurricanes.
“Vibrio bacteria, commonly found in warm coastal waters, can cause illness when ingested or when open wounds are exposed to contaminated water,” stated the department.
Heavy rain and flooding increase the risks of coming in contact with the bacteria.
Dr. Scott Rivkees said that freshwater mixing with seawater from the storm surge created a breeding ground for the bacteria.
“Where you have saltwater meeting fresh water, this is where vibrio can thrive,” Rivkees told ABC News. “And if individuals are exposed to brackish water and they have an open cut, or they’re immunocompromised, such as having cancer, vibrio can take hold.”
He said that more people die after a hurricane than during it often from drowning.
Dangers abound for Florida residents even after they make it through a storm.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this story.
