Every hurricane season, Floridians are provided with lots of information about how to ensure they and their loved ones stay safe. But have you ever considered how Florida’s native wildlife combat against these, often large, natural disasters?
Categorizing Hurricanes
Before we get into the incredible abilities that our wildlife have, I want to quickly remind you of what they are up against. A hurricane is defined as a rotating low-pressure weather system that has organized thunderstorms and sustained winds reaching up to 74mph. (FDEM, 2026).
These weather events can have a number of impacts including wind damage, storm surges, flooding, erosion, debris impacts, and tornado damage. We, as humans, have a number of protective steps we can take including putting all outside loose items away or creating hurricane resistant buildings. Wildlife, however, do not necessarily have access to the same resources. So what do they do?
Birds
Many birds have the ability to sense that a hurricane is coming before it makes landfall. Those that migrate long distances may delay their trip or change course direction based on the impending storm. Many shorebirds may seek inland protections. A few seabirds (like the yellow-nosed and wondering albatrosses) have even been noted to fly into the eye of a storm seeking the lower wind speeds but a few may stay put and hunker down (the brown pelican). However, in some cases birds may get displaced causing them to end up in areas they may not be otherwise.
Reptiles
Many reptiles will seek out burrows, logs, or other safe spaces. The gopher tortoise creates long deep burrows that often provide refuge to over 100 species, including other reptiles and even smaller mammals, which is why they are a keystone species. Alligators will often dive to the bottom of waterbodies or shelter near the waters edge. In some cases, like the green iguana, studies have suggested that species are often spread during these events via logs that act as floating rafts (Censky et al., 1998).
Aquatic Animals
Similar to birds, some aquatic species like sharks and snook will head into deeper water to avoid storm impacts. Other species, like the spotted seatrout and Florida manatee, will choose to stay where they are to ride out the storm. Studies suggest that the change in barometric pressure is key for certain aquatic organisms ability to identify upcoming weather changes (Koen et al., 2026).
Mammals
Like all species previously talked about, different mammals respond differently to storms. In some cases, mammals may seek higher elevations where flooding impacts are minimal. Black bears are known to find shelter in thicker wooded areas. Smaller mammals will seek out tree hollows or burrows made by other animals like the gopher tortoise.
Even without the same resources we have, organisms have learned to withstand storm season in unique ways. Organisms have learned how to spot signs of storms using environmental changes, whereas we tend to rely on technology! However, studies are still investigating how increasing severe storms affect overall populations and there is some concern (Covertino et al., 2011, Koen et al., 2026). So as we face the beginning of storm season and you begin your preparations, take a second to think about the other organisms we share the land with and don’t forget that you can help support them by creating wildlife habitat friendly yards.
Don’t forget to sign up to join UF/IFAS St. Lucie County Extension as we talk about all things hurricane preparedness including how to prepare, impacts of coastal flooding, and learning how maintain your yard post-storm. You can sign up here!
Resources
Censky, E., Hodge, K. & Dudley, J. Over-water dispersal of lizards due to hurricanes. Nature 395, 556 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/26886
Convertino, M., Elsner, J. B., Muñoz-Carpena, R., Kiker, G. A., Martinez, C. J., Fischer, R. A., & Linkov, I. (2011). Do tropical cyclones shape shorebird habitat patterns? Biogeoclimatology of snowy plovers in Florida. PLoS One, 6(1), e15683.
*Check out this awesome UF study that explored this relationship more: Koen, E.L., Meliane, M.K., Holmes, Z.B., Miller, K.E., Barichivich, W.J., Dedeban, E., Furst, A., Imeri, M., Niebanck, P.E., Nunn, S., Pearson, K., Rita, N., Ryver, B., Shaffer, D., Walls, S.C. and Ellington, E.H. (2026), How wildlife respond to tropical cyclones: short-term tactics and long-term impacts. Biol Rev. https://doi.org/10.1002/brv.70166
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