A man in Florida was, reportedly, attacked by an alligator along waters flooding local communities. Investigators have yet to recover the man's body, which was, reportedly, dragged into the floodwaters.
Authorities said Monday that a man had been attacked by an alligator near the city of Slidell. The 71-year-old man was, reportedly, traversing floodwaters outside their home when he was attacked.
According to the St. Tammany Fire District, the man's wife had witnessed the attack. She told authorities that she went outside after hearing a commotion only to see her husband being attacked by the large alligator. She said the alligator had torn one of her husband's arms off.
Officials said the wife attempted to pull her husband onto some steps and out of the flood. However, after leaving to call for help, she could no longer find her husband when she returned. Officials said they are now actively looking for the missing man.
Coincidentally, the attack occurred after officials discussed the possibility of alligator attacks in flooded communities following the storm. Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng said first responders and local residents should be wary of alligator attacks after some swamplands were flooded. She advised rescuers to wait to avoid going on rescue missions at night.
"This is an area that has a lot of swampland, alligators, very dangerous conditions," Sheng said.
Despite the high alligator population in the area, attacks during or after hurricanes are very rare. Experts said alligators typically hideout or hunker down in their natural habitats before a storm hits. Like other animals, alligators are able to sense pressure changes indicating the impending arrival of a storm.
"They instantly seek shelter. They have burrows or caves they call home, usually under mud or canal, and believe me, the first thing they are going to do is go into those burrows and caves," UF conservation biologist, Joe Wasilewski, said.
Wasilewski said that alligators can sometimes venture through floodwaters in communities after a storm. He said that during instances where water levels are high, the reptiles do tend to move around.
At least two people have been confirmed killed after hurricane Ida swept through the country's Gulf coast. The hurricane has destroyed hundreds of homes and left millions without power.
