By Paula Musto
Humans can stack sandbags, board up windows and stockpile food to ride out a storm. But what happens to wildlife when destructive winds and flooding damage their habitats? In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, ecologists and biologists are working to understand the impact on wildlife.
“Gale-force winds, storm surge and intense flooding disrupted wildlife across the animal kingdom from black bears in NC to alligators in FL,” says Ron McGill, Zoo Miami’s Goodwill Ambassador. McGill has weathered a multitude of tropical storms and is credited with rescuing both zoo animals and wildlife following one of the nation’s most destructive storms, Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
The aftermath of Helene and its catastrophic impact on Western North Carolina may be even worse, according to McGill. Andrew destroyed swaths of South Florida, but was a relatively small and dry storm; Helene’s rampage through WNC, with its lethal flooding and mudslides, inflicted even more damage to the region’s topography.
“After such a devasting storm, animals are under the same stress as people,” McGill says. “Most notably, there is a big shift in how and where they shelter and feed. It will take a while to understand Helene’s full impact.”
Research has shown some animals can sense bad weather, prompting them to get out of harm’s way. Birds may speed up fall migration. Elephants are known to run for hills before a tsunami. Sharks escape into the reefs.
“Animals are instinctively far more aware than us,” McGill says. “They have a keen sense of smell, can feel a change in vibrations and barometric pressure that signal danger.” But while some species, including many mammals, can safely move to higher ground and hunker down, others cannot escape. This includes aquatic wildlife trapped in Helene’s churning waters.
WNC’s iconic Eastern Hellbender, the largest salamander in North America, may have taken the biggest hit. Asheville wildlife biologist JJ Apodaca fears the storm decimated these amphibians that live along our riverbeds. Assessment is ongoing, but immediately following the storm it was evident that large numbers of Hellbenders were swept away. The surviving local populations may not be able to recover, pushing the vulnerable species closer towards extinction.
“Aquatic life does not have the capacity to move like other animals,” says Apodaca, executive director of Asheville’s Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy. “The amount of damage to their natural habitats is unbelievable. After the storm, in addition to flooding there is the sedimentation and pollution—chemicals, trash, vehicles and appliances were carried into the water.”
Luke Etchison, aquatic wildlife diversity coordinator for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, says it will take months to analyze population data to know how various species fared. Along with salamanders, he is concerned about mussels, crayfish and fish unable to withstand the powerful surge of mud and water.
The absence of adequate connection to floodplains along our rivers may have created a worst-case scenario. Historically, our rivers were connected to floodplains with large wetlands that acted like sponges to soak up water around them and slow down the overflow. But development has replaced these wetlands, allowing water to now pour down unabated.
“Just like turning on a faucet,” Etchison said. In areas like the Swannanoa, the water rises quickly, and animals, just like humans, are in danger of being swept way. But there is good news. Two weeks after the storm, the commission reported minnows and other small fish swimming in the hard-hit river.
Some species fare better than others. Birds, for example, are highly adaptable and have eons of experience surviving high winds. After a storm, avian populations may benefit from fallen trees—feeding on the detritus. However, Helene’s late September arrival may have interrupted flight patterns for millions of migratory birds. Birders are assessing the impact.
“Do all birds come through safely during major storms? Certainly not,” says Tom Tribble, past president of the Blue Ridge Audubon Society. But, he adds, “Studies show that migrating birds sometimes move long distances to avoid major storms. Some years ago, after a September hurricane hit the NC coast, a Wood Stork showed up at Owen Park in Swannanoa.” It was quite a distance from its normal range.
Asheville’s black bears seemingly weathered the storm without too much problem, some taking the opportunity to feast on rotting food buried in the debris. The wildlife commission reported, post-storm, an increase of human-black bear interactions. Wildlife officials posted warnings that people should not be tempted to feed wildlife out of concern for animals’ finding food.
The Western North Carolina Nature Center reported that all of its animals remained safe through the storm. Chris Gentile, the director, says that while the grounds lost trees, its facilities are in good shape. However, the center remains closed to the public due to road damage and a washed-out bridge at its entrance.
Wildlife enthusiasts from across the nation have asked how they can help as our region rebuilds. One of the best ways is to support conservation groups that educate, care for injured and orphaned wildlife and promote the preservation of natural habitats.
Paula Musto is a volunteer for Appalachian Wildlife Refuge. If you find an animal that may need help, call the wildlife emergency hotline at 828.633.6364. To learn more or donate, visit AppalachianWild.org.
