9-foot gator spotted on Hilton Head street in tropical storm rains. Should it be named Debby?
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Tropical Storm Debby
Tropical Storm Debby made landfall August 5 as Category 1 storm in Florida’s Big Bend region. As it moves up the Southeast Coast, the system could dump historic rainfall in Beaufort County.
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A mammoth-sized gator was spotted by Celebration Park on Hilton Head this morning around 11 a.m., said Christian Sudduth, an island local who said he nearly ran over the beast while he was driving down Nassau Street. Sudduth estimated that the gator was around eight or nine feet long.
The gator was braving early signs of Tropical Storm Debby, sitting still on the pavement as the rain started to fall. A sight like this is not uncommon when it comes to storms of this magnitude. Alligators are known to relocate during hurricanes. After Hurricane Florence slammed the Carolinas in 2018, alligators emerged from their usual home as water levels rose and were found in some unusual places, including a flooded dog park.
Jeff La Rue, the Chief Communications Officer for the Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority, suggested that people stay out of flooded water during the storm, which could contain “dangerous wildlife or microorganisms.” This could include alligators, he said Monday.
If you see a gator in an unusual place, please send a photo to newsroom@islandpacket.com
This story was originally published August 5, 2024 at 3:27 PM.
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