A Louisiana family spotted a dolphin swimming in the floodwaters of their neighborhood caused by Hurricane Ida.
Amanda Huling was biking back to their neighborhood to evaluate damage caused by the storm when they spotted the aquatic mammal swimming up the street., according to CNN.
👀🐬 A dolphin was spotted swimming in water in a Slidell, Louisiana neighborhood after Hurricane #Ida blasted ashore: https://t.co/sRP3GUdK2X pic.twitter.com/9maxyhJYy4
— Sheri Falk (@SheriFalkWVTM13) August 30, 2021
The dolphin’s fins pop up out of the water twice in the video. “It’s right there!” someone was heard saying in the audio. The dolphin was seen in a neighborhood in Slidell, Louisiana. Slidell experienced heavy flooding due to Hurricane Ida, the New York Post reported.
Hurricane Ida created a path of destruction as it devastated the Gulf states with heavy rain, strong winds, and flooding. Over a million were to have been without power as a result of the storm. Ida was the fifth-strongest hurricane to ever hit the U.S., The Associated Press reported.
Dolphins were not the only animal distressed because of the hurricane. A Louisiana man that was allegedly bitten by an alligator during Ida has been reported missing. He was in a shed which was filled with water due to flooding from Hurricane Ida.
STPSO update: A 71 year old man was in his shed, which had several feet of water in it. His wife heard commotion and discovered an alligator attacking him. She pulled him onto stairs and left to get help. His body has not been found. Large alligators are common in this area. https://t.co/xNKFuXQ0wc
— Erika Ferrando WWLTV (@ErikaFerrandoTV) August 31, 2021
Animals have been known to leave their natural habitats during storms as a means of survival. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) said that some animals will “seek higher ground and be displaced into habitat with which they may not be familiar,” according to KATC.
“Rising waters force wildlife from flooded habitat into adjacent residential and commercial areas where they may come into contact with residents,” LDWF said.
The LDWF issued a warning to the public to be aware of wildlife forced into populated areas by flood water from the storm and keep their distance, KATC reported.