What is Left Behind in Flood Waters
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With the Mississippi River cresting Tuesday in Lauderdale County, many West Tennesseans are asking, when can get back in my house, and what will I find when I get back in? According to the TWRA, what you could find are snakes, among many other critters. A normal fishing trip? No, not for the TWRA. A boat is the only way to get down Highway 19 West in Lauderdale County. Daniel Stanfield, a wildlife officer, says, “We’re getting calls right now, a lot of people are having snakes and turtles come in their yard. They are seeing deer and beavers walking down the side of the roads in places.” With the flood water now slowly receding, snakes, turtles, frogs, you name it, are finding their way to higher ground. And that higher ground can, unfortunately, be your home. William Nichols, a resident, adds, “I know probably the first thing we’ll do is do some type of fumigation or whatever to get the snakes, spiders out of there.” There is no way to stop the current that is going about 20 miles per hour, from pushing the door open, and allowing wildlife to make your home, their new home. Stanfield, says, “There’s really nothing we can do right now. The animal is trying to adapt to survive, and get out of the water.” The biggest threat right now are water moccasins or cottonmouth snakes. However, wildlife officials say the old adage still stands, do not bother them, and they will not bother you. Stanfield, adds, “You’re going to have some septic tanks back up, under water. You might have the back fill out, so you might have to work with a little bit of sewage.” Needless to say, for some residents, critters may be the least of their worries when the flood water completely recedes. Officials say nearly half of Lauderdale County is still flooded, however, as of Tuesday, the water will start going down a couple of inches a day.
