Hurricane Milton Leaves Another Terror in its Wake: Live Alligators Everywhere

Spencer Platt. Getty Images.

The one thing the people of Florida, North Carolina and the surrounding areas do not need right now, it's a reminder of the awesome might of nature. Scientists sometimes refer to this as the Anthropocene Era, meaning humans have terraformed much of the world to suit it to our needs. But it is still indifferent to our suffering. And we remain vulnerable to its often cruel power. 

The people of the greater Tampa are certainly experiencing this. As we speak, an untold number are dead. An estimated 3 million are without power. And the property damage is incalculable. But nature has also left behind a horrifying threat that few if any probably considered, given all the other crises they're dealing with:

Daily Mail - This is the shocking moment Florida residents caught in Hurricane Milton opened their car door to find an agitated alligator snapping at the tire.

Locals were left hysterical as their car became swamped in fast moving water and attacked by 'a big f**king alligator'.

Wildlife experts have warned that animals may be affected by the storms and driven into populated areas, left disoriented and more aggressive from the stress. …

[E]xperts say wild animals could still be displaced and finding their way into homes to shelter from the storm.

Jesus wept …

Social media is full of similar, if not quite as up close and graphic images. Some of which claim to be from the path of the storm. None of which can be confirmed as authentic. Because … well, the internet:

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But whether you accept all of those as real or none of them, that one of a truck getting attacked with passengers inside in their own driveway is more than enough to drive home the message of how helpless we puny humans can be.

Now, 999 times out 1,000, this would turn into a bunch of snark about Florida. This is that lone exception. This is about dealing with the elements. Man vs. Nature. The Order Crocodilia dates back to about 37 million years ago. And in that time, they've barely evolved. Because they haven't had to. Their species has literally weathered thousands, if not millions, of storms as bad, or even worse, than this. They're a perfect machine, built for survival. And now that Milton has taken the entire ecosystem and shaken it up, gators are walking freely among a species that has lasted as long as it has solely through its wits. And until the flood waters recede and these prehistoric creatures are forced back into their own habitats, these people are going to need every bit of intelligence their Creator gave them just to avoid these monsters. On top of everything else they're dealing with. Let's get them all the help they need. Nothing else matters right now.