Hurricanes are intense storms that can wreak havoc when they make landfall, bringing destructive winds, heavy rain, flooding, and power outages. If you’ve ever wondered where small animals like squirrels go to ride out these extreme weather events, you’re not alone!
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Squirrels have several strategies for surviving hurricanes, including hunkering down in their nests, fleeing to higher ground, and hiding out in attics or trees.
Squirrels Seek Shelter in Their Nests
Nests Provide Protection
When hurricanes approach, squirrels know to seek shelter in their intricately built nests high up in the trees. Their nests, called dreys, provide excellent protection from the strong winds and heavy rains that come with major storms.
Dreys are made of interwoven twigs and lined with soft materials like leaves, moss, and fur, making them surprisingly sturdy and weather-resistant. The small entrance hole also prevents rain from getting inside while allowing air flow.
Squirrels tend to build their nests on stable branches hidden within the tree canopy, keeping them safely out of the way of falling debris. Some squirrels even have multiple nests scattered around their territory, giving them backup options if one gets damaged in a storm.
Research has shown that squirrel dreys can withstand winds of over 60 mph, which is equivalent to a category 1 hurricane. Their nest weaving methods create an intricate basket-like enclosure that flexes and moves with the branch rather than getting ripped apart in high winds.
The nests are also remarkably water-resistant. Studies testing artificial squirrel nests found they could handle heavy downpours without leaking for over an hour. With an average drey measuring around 1-2 feet across, there is ample room for squirrels to hunker down and ride out whatever a hurricane throws at them.
Nests are Built to Withstand Storms
Squirrels are incredibly fastidious when it comes to building their nests, working hard to create a sturdy fortress high up in the trees. They carefully select mature trees with strong, healthy branches that are less likely to break in storms.
The nests themselves take squirrels 2-3 weeks to construct using their sharp teeth to strip and weave flexible twigs intoGlobe shaped enclosures. Squirrels take the structural integrity of their dreys very seriously, constantly maintaining and even rebuilding them to keep them in peak condition.
Interestingly, some research suggests squirrels may further reinforce their dreys when a hurricane is approaching. A study in Florida observed squirrels adding fresh green pine twigs, moss, and leaves to their nests prior to Hurricane Charley making landfall.
The additional greenery may have helped plug any small gaps and added weight to better anchor the nests during the high winds. So between their ingenious construction and last-minute storm prepping, squirrels have adapted some amazing techniques to keep their homes secure when dangerous weather strikes.
Squirrels Flee to Higher Ground
Squirrels Have a Keen Sense of Impending Weather Changes
Squirrels possess an astute ability to detect shifts in weather patterns before storms arrive (1). Their keen senses allow them to take necessary actions to find safer areas. When air pressure drops and the breeze picks up ahead of a hurricane, squirrels detect the change through their whiskers and fur.
Acting on instinct honed over generations, tree squirrels flee their leafy habitats and seek higher ground (2).
Research shows that squirrels can sense a coming storm 1-2 days before its arrival (3). As the air smells different prior to extreme weather, squirrels pick up the scent changes with their sensitive noses. They may also hear subtle sounds inaudible to humans, further alerting them.
While specific storm responses vary by species, most tree squirrels innately know to head to higher branches or ground in their habitats.
They Retreat From Low-Lying Areas
With turbulent winds and flooding accompanying hurricanes, squirrels evacuate low-lying zones to escape the brunt of storms. Instead of staying in easily flooded nests, squirrels relocate days before landfall (4).
Their lightning-fast reflexes help them rapidly climb upward, taking shelter atop tall trees, elevations, and raised manmade structures.
By moving at least 30-50 feet up within thicker tree canopies, squirrels find stable branches to safely ride out high winds (5). They may even cross electric lines or pole-hop between trees to reach safer areas.
Some more social species assist elder or juvenile squirrels in their evacuation efforts as well. Following their evacuation instincts is key to squirrels’ storm survival.
| Squirrel Species | Hurricane Survival Strategies |
| Eastern gray squirrels | Flee to higher tree branches, nestle deep in tree holes |
| Southern flying squirrels | Relocate nests to north-facing cavities, bond for warmth |
| Fox squirrels | Hide out in abandoned woodpecker holes |
| Red squirrels | Weather storms in dreys lined with mosses and lichens |
While each species has adapted hurricane survival methods, their common thread is vertically retreating from flood zones (6). Pine squirrels may even take cover behind cone clusters on tall pines. By heading up before the storm hits, squirrels boost their odds to ride it out unharmed.
In closing, squirrels demonstrate a remarkable capacity to sense and respond to hurricane threats far better than humans. By tapping into their natural awareness and storm evacuation strategies, these agile rodents are well equipped to flee danger.
Their skill and speed at reaching higher ground gives squirrels an admirable resiliency that helps them endure turbulent times.
References:
- https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/how-do-squirrels-survive-extreme-weather
- https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/hurricane-irma-how-do-animals-react-behaviour-florida-storm-a7937546.html
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-chances-that-flora-and-fauna-can-weather-climate-change-180978719/
- https://www.pestworld.org/news-hub/pest-articles/squirrels-surviving-storms/
- https://www.nwf.org/Home/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2021/Oct-Nov/Animals/Extreme-Weather
- https://www.livescience.com/63390-how-squirrels-survive-extreme-weather.html
Squirrels Take Refuge Indoors
Attics and Crawlspaces Offer Reprieve
When a hurricane approaches, squirrels will seek shelter wherever they can find it. Attics and crawlspaces in homes and other buildings provide excellent refuge for these resourceful rodents. The dry, enclosed space shields them from fierce winds and rain.
Once inside, squirrels will hunker down and wait out the storm. They may nestle into insulation or hide behind boxes and other stored items. These cozy spots allow squirrels to stay safe and warm until the hurricane passes.
Squirrels are nimble and clever, enabling them to find ways into attics and crawlspaces. They will squeeze through tiny holes or gaps around soffits, gables, chimneys, and roof vents. Their excellent climbing skills also allow them to scale walls and shimmy under loose roof shingles.
Once inside, they will forage for any nuts or food that has been stashed by other squirrels. Their keen sense of smell helps them sniff outPrevious storm damage or wear and tear on buildings can also provide easy access points for squirrels.
As intelligent creatures, they are quick to take advantage of any opportunity for food and shelter.
Squirrels do need to be cautious when taking haven in attics or crawlspaces shared with electrical wiring. Live wires exposed by strong winds or fallen trees pose an electrocution risk. Once the hurricane passes, squirrels should promptly vacate to avoid encounters with homeowners assessing property damage.
Their hurricane survival instincts kick in to provide vital refuge, but attics are not meant to serve as permanent nests.
Squirrels Hide Out in Trees
In addition to structures, some squirrels will take cover from hurricanes within trees. They may burrow into tree cavities or hide out in leafy branches if no better option exists. However, trees do not provide nearly as much protection as an enclosed building space during a severe storm.
The fierce winds can still toss squirrels around or even uproot an entire tree.
If residing in a tree, squirrels will typically choose the strongest, healthiest one available. Large, mature trees with deep root systems have the best chance of withstanding powerful gusts. Squirrels also prefer dense trees with many leafy branches to help shield them from the elements.
Some common hiding spots include oak, maple, pine and coconut palms. It’s best to pick one away from power lines as well to avoid blown lines.
Squirrels are smart enough to flee to a better location if they sense danger in a tree. Signs like leaning trunks or damaged limbs will cause them to abandon their wooded hideout in search of sturdier shelter.
They have been known to quickly jump into nearby structures or underground burrows when able. Some squirrels even construct large nests, called dreys, that contain an inner chamber where several squirrels can take cover together. This demonstrates their survival skills and adaptability.
Hurricanes present a significant threat to life, including squirrels. While trees do not offer optimal refuge, they provide a better alternative to remaining completely exposed. By hiding out in trees, squirrels can safely ride out some weaker storms.
But direct hits from a hurricane’s full fury will likely overwhelm most wooded shelters. Taking cover indoors is the best way for resourceful squirrels to stay protected.
Other Hurricane Survival Tactics
Storing Food
Squirrels are known for storing food to prepare for winter months when food becomes scarce. This behavior also helps them survive hurricanes. In the weeks leading up to a hurricane, squirrels go into hyperdrive collecting and storing nuts, seeds, acorns, and other foods.
They stash goods in hidden caches underground or in tree cavities. Storing enough food helps sustain squirrels when severe weather hits and disrupts their normal foraging habits. According to wildlife experts, a single squirrel can hoard up to 10,000 nuts in a year!
Gray squirrels and fox squirrels are especially prolific stashes. They bury nuts and seeds in shallow holes and use their strong spatial memory to locate the goods months later. Tree squirrels like eastern gray squirrels have adapted large cheek pouches for transporting food.
Their pouches can hold up to an ounce of nuts or seeds — that’s over 50 acorns in one load!
By collecting food reserves before a hurricane, squirrels ensure they have enough to eat during and after the storm passes. This helps their survival chances and gives them a head start when rebuilding their populations.
Staying Near the Trunk
Another survival tactic for squirrels during hurricanes is staying low in trees near the main trunk. Squirrels are incredibly agile and can swiftly climb high branches. However, they tend to avoid the smaller peripheral limbs during storms.
Strong winds can easily snap small branches and blow squirrels right out of the tree!
Instead, squirrels cling to larger branches nearer the trunk for stability. They flatten their bodies against the bark and grip tightly while winds whip around them. Their muscular hind legs and sharp claws help anchor them in place.
Squirrels have even been known to survive tornadoes this way as long as the main trunk stays intact.
In addition, staying low makes it easier for squirrels to access their dreys — nests made of interwoven twigs lined with moss and leaves. Most dreys are built where branches meet the trunk, giving added protection. If winds become severe, squirrels can retreat inside for cover.
Surviving hurricanes comes down to preparation and adaptation. By storing food reserves and hunkering down, squirrels can weather even the most destructive storms. Their survival skills are certainly something we humans can learn from!
Conclusion
Hurricanes are challenging times for both humans and animals. But squirrels have adaptations that help them ride out these extreme weather events. By hunkering down in secure nests, fleeing to higher ground, and hiding out in attics or trees, squirrels are able to survive the high winds, rain, and flooding brought by hurricanes.
