As Hurricane Irma swept through Florida Sunday, a fire department employee caught sight of a large alligator scurrying along a downtown street in Melbourne.

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Melbourne is on Florida’s eastern coast, southeast of Orlando.

The gator eventually pulled himself up to the sidewalk and took off running away, over a grassy area.

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Travelers wait in Concourse F, the international terminal, at Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com