Debby washes Hilton Head’s alligators into odd places. Here’s where they’ve been found

It’s not just humans whose schedules and homes are impacted by tropical storms. Even as Beaufort County’s apex predator, alligators are subject to displacement from extreme weather.

As the heavy rains and flooding of Tropical Storm Debby continue, more gators have been found lurking outside their usual turf in the Hilton Head area — whether they retreated willingly or were forced by rushing floodwater.

“I was fortunate I saw him,” said Hilton Head resident Christian Sudduth, referring to an approximately 8-foot gator lying near the shoulder of Nassau Street near Celebration Park. The 41-year-old islander almost ran over the massive reptile around 11 a.m. Monday morning as Debby’s steady rainfall began.

That same morning, another alligator was reportedly “swimming in puddles” on Pope Avenue near Coligny Circle. The out-of-place animal, estimated to be about 7 feet, was seen puddle-hopping across the road , a resident told WSAV 3.

The islander stopped traffic so the gator could cross the street and find its way into a lagoon, he said.

Monday afternoon, a resident of Hilton Head’s Long Cove Club neighborhood spotted a smaller gator in the shallow section of her backyard pool. “Five inches of rain so far ... and an unwelcome visitor,” she wrote.

These sightings are to be expected during a tropical storm, when sudden rushes of rainwater can push the critters out of their usual habitats in Hilton Head’s marshes and waterways. But they aren’t completely clueless — researchers believe alligators can foresee incoming hurricanes and other extreme weather by sensing changes in barometric pressure.

When gators sense a storm approaching, they often burrow themselves into mud or swamps for protection. But after some inevitably get swept away, they’re known to take shelter in places far from the rising waters, like in backyards, under porches and in swimming pools.

Most of the critters will leave when the water recedes, said Matt Kraycar, owner of the Bluffton-based K&K Wildlife Services . “They’re going to go back to where the food is and where they feel comfortable,” he said. “Right now, they’re just trying to find a safe spot.”

With decades of experience in rescuing and wrangling alligators, Kraycar has witnessed firsthand the patterns of their displacement from extreme weather events. After Hurricane Matthew, his company rescued several gators that had been pushed into local storm drains , while others were found dead inside the water lines.

As for Tropical Storm Debby, Kraycar said he hasn’t seen the same spike in alligator calls he usually sees during storms. “I think everybody’s kind of just hunkering down in their houses too, which helps a lot,” he added.

Instead, he predicts a rise in rodent removals after Debby passes over the Lowcountry. “Rats, squirrels, raccoons ... I think some of it is them getting displaced from things getting filled up, or them falling down out of trees. That’ll be the next little wave of things that I’ll be anticipating.”

Experts warn never to swim or wade in floodwater after heavy rains like from Tropical Storm Debby, as alligators or snakes might be swimming below the murky surface.