Storm Harvey flood victims face displaced alligators

Evacuees abandon their flooded homes in Houston last week

A householder in Houston who evacuated his home as Hurricane
Harvey approached one week ago returned to find a nine-foot
alligator in residence in his dining room.

According to the Dallas Morning News, the reptile was one of the
many “alligators, snakes and other wildlife” displaced by the
floods the storm brought. Local police tweeted last week that
animals are “simply looking for higher ground” and urged Texans:
“Leave alone until water recedes.”

Gators and flooding advice via @txgatorsquad: Expect them to be displaced. Simply
looking for higher ground. Leave alone until water recedes pic.twitter.com/nN1B5jvMyV

— FBCSO Texas (@FBCSO) August 24, 2017

According to The Independent, Texas game wardens had to
capture an even larger alligator displaced by the floods. “It took
five men to control the 12ft beast,” says the paper.

The storms have left 43,000 people housed in shelters and killed
at least 47. Donald Trump and his wife Melania made a second visit
to Texas to meet victims and volunteers yesterday – the US
President was criticised for not meeting survivors on his first
trip earlier last week.

Some residents have now been allowed to return home but the
flood waters will still rising last night, the BBC reported. Texas governor Greg Abbott says the
state will need $125bn (£162bn) in aid.