All in a Day's Work – Hurricanes, Gators and Snakes!

Hurricane Ike inflicted major damage across much of southeast Texas and western Louisiana last September, killing 166 people and causing an estimated $31.5 billion in damage.

While the human impacts of Hurricane Ike were tragic on a massive scale, a traumatic event like this also has a major effect on the environment and wildlife.

American alligator seen along side a road.
Photo credit: Carl Childs, NOAA.

Following Ike, I had the chance to witness these effects firsthand as part of the multi-agency team charged with managing the oil spills caused by the storm.

I was one of several members of NOS’s Office of Response and Restoration providing expertise and services for resource risk assessment, trajectory forecasting for spills, natural resource trustee coordination, and on-scene guidance on spill assessment and cleanup tactics.

Most of the affected wetland areas are predominantly freshwater systems. When the storm hit, it inundated the area with hundreds of millions of gallons of highly saline ocean waters. This salt water will likely impact the area for years to come, severely stressing wildlife in the area.

My team focused on the Port Arthur, Texas area.  Most of the spills in this area were from oil fields in the swamps and coastal marshes. Ike’s storm surge exceeded 20 feet in some areas, the aftermath of which seriously complicated our ability to get around the area.

But we weren’t the only ones having a hard time getting around. These wetlands are home to several species of snakes. Like most of the wildlife, these snakes are acclimatized to freshwater habitats. We observed many agitated snakes swimming in odd patterns as they tried to stay high in the water. One particular water moccasin was particularly interested in us. These snakes have been known to climb into boats in normal circumstances, so we gave it an extra wide berth in our small boat.

We also encountered several American alligators during our field work. Normally, alligators are not a threat to humans, but in the wake of the storm many of these animals were stressed from the salt water and were having a hard time finding food.

I was too busy running to get a photo of my closest encounter with an alligator, but I have included a couple of my favorite photos from other run-ins.

It was a privilege to be a part of the response to this disaster. All of our combined efforts are making a difference in speeding up the recovery of this traumatized region.

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