As if Hurricane Ida itself wasn’t horrific enough, Louisianians are now facing a new dilemma: navigating all the various hazards it created. While power outages and demolished buildings each come with their own unique set of challenges, a heartbreaking story has drawn attention to just how dangerous a simple walk down your street could be post-hurricane.
According to NBC News, a 71 year-old man was walking in the floodwaters outside his home in Slidell, Louisiana when he was attacked by an alligator. In a recounting of the events given by the victim’s wife, she told authorities she was inside their home when she heard a commotion, and rushed outside to witness her husband being attacked by a gator, which bit off one of the man’s arms. Following the attack, she was able to bring him in a bit closer to their home, where she then ran to retrieve first aid for his severed limb. However, upon returning to her husband, his body was nowhere to be found, leading officials to presume the man had been finished off by the gator.
According to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office:
When she [..] realized the severity of his injuries, she immediately got into her pirogue and went to higher ground, which was approximately a mile away, to get help. When she returned, her husband was no longer lying on the steps. STPSO used high water vehicles and flatboats in an attempt to locate the victim, but as of this time all attempts have been futile.
The tragic event serves as an unfortunate reminder that humans were not the only living things displaced during hurricane Ida, and flooded areas are now particularly hazardous to trek through. St. Tammy Parish Sheriff Randy Smith went on to urge residents to be “extra vigilant” when walking in flooded areas, as “wildlife has been displaced as well during this storm and alligators and other animals may have moved closer into neighborhoods.”
As of right now, the victim’s name has not been disclosed. In addition to the missing man, at least four people in Louisiana and Mississippi have died following Hurricane Ida, one of the strongest storms to ever hit the region. Here’s hoping the in the coming days we don’t see too much of an increase in that, folks stay safe, and demolished areas start to be rebuilt.