Hurricanes are hard for humans and wildlife; rebuilding after the storm should include wildlife crossings

Recovering from a hurricane is never easy, especially for communities unaccustomed to the devastating flooding and intense winds these storms can bring. This is true for people and wildlife.  

Cleanup efforts after Hurricane Helene face a unique obstacle because the devastating storm washed away miles and miles of roads, forcing the closure of approximately 450 of them. For now, the state’s top priority must be ensuring that North Carolinians have the food, water and shelter they need while they start rebuilding their lives. But once the essentials are in place, we should look for opportunities to build North Carolina back better. This should include wildlife crossings.

From the Outer Banks to the storm-ravaged Smokies, North Carolina is known for its natural wonders, including some of the most beloved beaches in the world, mist-shrouded 6,000-foot peaks and old-growth forests full of wild animals. Roadways that cut through these forests, mountains and wetlands often endanger these animals. Collisions are one of the main threats to wildlife.

According to the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, vehicle-wildlife collisions kill more than 1 million animals each day. Pew, citing the U.S. Department of Transportation, says approximately 1 to 2 million vehicles hit large animals across the United States each year, causing approximately 200 human deaths, 26,000 injuries, and at least $8 billion in property damage and other costs. 

As we rebuild after Helene, we should create wildlife corridors to make life safer for animals — especially the nearly extinct red wolf — and the people who too often drive into them on the road. 

North Carolina hosts the last of the world’s wild red wolf population. At last count, in September, less than 20 of these majestic canines were alive. Mates bond for life and raise their pups together. So, when a vehicle struck and killed a father wolf earlier in 2024, the mother wolf was left to raise five pups on her own. Sadly, all the pups have since died, leaving red wolves at a higher risk of extinction than ever.

We can minimize the risks that vehicles pose to wildlife by incorporating wildlife crossings into our infrastructure planning, both post-Helene and moving forward. In their simplest form, wildlife crossings are strategically placed bridges above or tunnels below highways and other roads that allow animals to cross safely.

Scientists rely on models of animal movements and landscape features to determine how to best connect animals to their breeding, feeding, and resting grounds. For example, these crossings may parallel pre-existing waterways running under a road or connect hilly land masses on the sides of a highway. Crossings can also include fences that herd migrating animals toward designated road crossings, where rumble strips and warning signs slow vehicles.

Wildlife crossings have been proven to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions by up to 90%, thereby mitigating the risks posed by our existing transportation networks. Now, North Carolina has an unprecedented opportunity to integrate these crossings into the construction of new highways and roads. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, as we try to simultaneously repair our transportation system and make North Carolina more resilient, we should include wildlife corridors in any reconstruction planning. 

Wildlife crossings provide the road to a safer, more biodiverse future in our state. By incorporating wildlife crossings into our infrastructure planning moving forward, we can make North Carolina safer for its people and animals, including the incredibly rare red wolves found only here.