“We need help with an alligator in hallway 43”. That was the unusual emergency call received by the police in Okeechobee, Florida, after an alligator about three meters long showed up near a Home Depot store, amid the heavy rains and flooding affecting the area.
The Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office shared this Tuesday the episode on its official Facebook page, with a post that combined humor with a reminder about the dangers of approaching these reptiles.
"That's not the kind of service call one expects to receive from our local Home Depot!" the authorities wrote, surprised by the unusual emergency.
According to the post, the animal measured approximately ten feet long, equivalent to 3.05 meters, and was seen moving along a road in Okeechobee after the heavy rains.
"But add ten inches of rain and suddenly a ten-foot alligator is wandering the road here in Okeechobee," reported the sheriff.
The police office took advantage of the situation to joke about the intentions of the unexpected visitor: “Apparently, he also had some home improvement projects pending!”
The reference to aisle 43 and the comment about home repairs added a humorous tone to the story. However, the authorities did not specify whether the alligator managed to enter the store or if it stayed nearby.
They did not specify how it was removed nor reported any injuries.
The sighting occurred after several days of extraordinary rainfall that caused flooding in various communities in Florida.
In Okeechobee, flash floods rendered sections of SR 70 and US 441 impassable on Sunday, November 1, according to alerts from the National Weather Service (NWS).
The meteorological agency reported accumulations of between five and nine inches of rain in areas of the southeastern part of the county, with the possibility of additional precipitation. Local police also confirmed that water had entered some structures.
Alligators are common in Florida, but their presence in areas frequented by people often leads to unexpected situations.
In September of this year, a couple who had just arrived in Florida found a huge alligator next to their truck, in another scene that attracted attention due to the animal's proximity to a vehicle.
In April 2024, a crocodile over two meters long managed to enter the kitchen of a house in Venice, in Sarasota County, after forcing a door open. It took five officials to remove it.
Another incident occurred in May of the same year, when a resident of New Smyrna Beach discovered a three-meter alligator swimming in their pool.
The reptile had managed to get through the pool's protective barrier.
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