Animal Attractions Prepped for Hurricane Season - WMBB News 13 - The Panhandle's News Leader

Although hurricane season got off to an early start this year, forecasters are anticipating an average season with about 9 to 15 tropical storms.

But as Floridians, it's important to stay ahead of the storm by being prepared. Some Bay County attractions already have an extensive plan in place.

For Kendall Andrews and Brinnon playing in the pool is all fun and games; but when it comes to protecting her from harms way, Gulf World takes it very seriously.

"Preparation is really the secret." Since 1984 Ron Hardy has seen his fair share of storms and year after year he and his staff prepare for the worst. "You won't believe it but if you see the pools at gulf world, I've seen two foot waves at those pools."

Like everyone else, they pull out the plywood and clear out hazardous debris. "The big difference here is that we have animals to secure." Hardy says.

Many of those animals like the dolphins and sea turtles remain in their habitats. Officials say it's the safest place for them to weather the storm.

Down the beach, another attraction takes a different approach. Zoo World's hurricane preparedness plan includes the usage of concrete enclosures that can provide safety for animals during strong wind gusts.

"Ordinarily, we would catch them up and put them in crates of different sizes and then move them into a safe building but with this new remodeling we've eliminated a need for most of that." Assistant Director Tom Walling says.

A majority of the large animals have built in structures, but if winds exceed sustained winds greater than 157 miles an hour, all animals would be moved inland.

So no matter the size, shape, or type, these two popular attractions have their hands full, making sure animals like Brinnon stay ahead of the storm.