Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said its teams are responding to reports of stranded manatees after Hurricane Helene ripped through the state last week.
Helene made landfall in Florida’s panhandle as a Category 4 storm last Tuesday night, bringing with it heavy rainfall, high winds and flooding that also struck other Southeastern states. As of Tuesday, the death toll from Helene had reached 159, the Associated Press reported, as search and rescue operations continue throughout hard-hit states.
The storm has also wreaked havoc on the wildlife caught in its path. The FWC said in a post to its social media accounts on Monday that its biologists were working to rescue manatees—a protected animal under Florida state law—that were beached.
A manatee swims in the Homosassa River on October 5, 2021, in Homosassa, Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said its teams are responded to reports of stranded manatees left beached after Hurricane… A manatee swims in the Homosassa River on October 5, 2021, in Homosassa, Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said its teams are responded to reports of stranded manatees left beached after Hurricane Helene ripped through the state last week. More Joe Raedle/Getty Images
