# Where do squirrels go during a hurricane? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 7, 2012, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-squirrels-go-during-a-hurricane/640172 "2012-11-07T03:45:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-squirrels-go-during-a-hurricane/640172/1 "2012-11-07T03:45:04Z")
See subject. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-squirrels-go-during-a-hurricane/640172/2 "2012-11-07T03:50:56Z")
Their nest is called a [drey](https://www.theimagefile.com/v/tp/130/290/7590642802_4_Squirrel-drey.jpg). I underlined the relevant part in the quote. [http://www.squirrels.org/facts.html](http://www.squirrels.org/facts.html) > [@](#): > > In the summer squirrels are most active two to three hours after sunrise, then they’ll rest in the afternoon. Resuming activity again two hours before sunset. The squirrel will retire to its nest well before dark, and will rarely leave the nest in the dark. In the winter, the squirrel will complete its activities between dawn and mid- day, and will remain in or around the nest until the next day. > > During winter storms, or severe cold, the squirrel may not leave the nest for days. But, the tree squirrel does not hibernate! > > An adult squirrel normally lives alone. But will, in severe cold, share its nest with other squirrels to conserve body heat. Once the temperature rises, the guests will be on their way. ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-squirrels-go-during-a-hurricane/640172/3 "2012-11-07T03:54:59Z")
During a hurricane, I suspect ahead or not far behind the flying mini cooper. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-squirrels-go-during-a-hurricane/640172/4 "2012-11-07T04:00:31Z")
I hunted squirrels throughout my teens and can’t recall seeing a drey on the ground. They must be attached pretty well to the tree. Of course, if the whole tree comes down, then the squirrel goes with it. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-squirrels-go-during-a-hurricane/640172/5 "2012-11-07T04:08:13Z")
Drey goes da neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-squirrels-go-during-a-hurricane/640172/6 "2012-11-07T04:08:44Z")
Interesting. I Learned something tonight. I never thought of squirrels nesting on the ground. > [@](#): > > The gray squirrel has been known to build a nest in many unusual places, in an attic or a crawl space seems to be the most common. Squirrels have also built nests in automobiles, chimney’s, barbecue grills and under porches. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-squirrels-go-during-a-hurricane/640172/7 "2012-11-07T04:25:37Z")
Counter-clockwise. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-squirrels-go-during-a-hurricane/640172/8 "2012-11-07T13:04:21Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Counter-clockwise. Yeah, it’s the marsupial squirrels that go clockwise. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-squirrels-go-during-a-hurricane/640172/9 "2012-11-07T13:12:25Z")
I suspect that they retreat into voting machines and chew on the wires. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-squirrels-go-during-a-hurricane/640172/10 "2012-11-07T14:51:53Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I suspect that they retreat into voting machines and chew on the wires. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-squirrels-go-during-a-hurricane/640172/11 "2012-11-07T15:25:09Z")
The day after Sandy, I saw quite a few squirrels out foraging among the downed trees. So wherever they went, they didn’t go far. ---
**Author:** ![cmosdes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cmosdes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmosdes)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-squirrels-go-during-a-hurricane/640172/12 "2012-11-07T16:59:59Z")
> [@AndrewL](#): > > The day after Sandy, I saw quite a few squirrels out foraging among the downed trees. So wherever they went, they didn’t go far. Unless the ones you saw were the ones that blew in from the next state over. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-squirrels-go-during-a-hurricane/640172/13 "2012-11-08T00:16:05Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > See subject. Squirrel Hell, mostly. They’re _rodents!_ They will quickly breed up to previous levels, after the storm. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-squirrels-go-during-a-hurricane/640172/14 "2012-11-08T01:20:26Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Counter-clockwise. …more correctly, downwind. Genetic diversity increases after the storm. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-squirrels-go-during-a-hurricane/640172/15 "2012-11-08T02:52:54Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Squirrel Hell, mostly. > > They’re _rodents!_ > > They will quickly breed up to previous levels, after the storm. You sound like the guy on the Carnivorous Plant message board who catches them in a have a heart trap and then drowns them in a bucket of water. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-squirrels-go-during-a-hurricane/640172/16 "2012-11-08T03:45:16Z")
They go to the gym, for a cot and a blanket. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-squirrels-go-during-a-hurricane/640172/17 "2012-11-08T03:54:48Z")
On the trees in their nests, which are deep inside the forest. When a strong lateral wind hits a group of trees, the trees on the edges are most battered. The wind will then skip up and point down again, hitting the inner trees from the top. A destructive wind will not just topple trees at the edge. The down-turn could be enough to destroy the canopy on the inner trees and even knock some over. But staying on the inner-most trees will be the safest bet. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-squirrels-go-during-a-hurricane/640172/18 "2012-11-08T04:28:17Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > They go to the gym, for a cot and a blanket. Good post. 🙂