People taking in evacuated horses should understand that they could have to care for and feed these horses for weeks or longer if the animals' homes are damaged or destroyed. | Photo: iStock

Earlier this week Florence became the latest hurricane to batter parts of the U.S. deposited more than 30 inches of rain when it stalled over parts of the Carolinas and Virginia. Hundreds of horses were evacuated ahead of the storm, but that catastrophic flooding could prevent them from returning home anytime soon.

“This can be devastating for people, especially if their homes have been destroyed or damaged by the storm,” said Elizabeth Steed, founder of the Livestock and Equine Awareness and Rescue Network, in Ravenel, South Carolina. “So people who have taken in evacuated horses should understand that they may have to care for and feed these horses for weeks or longer.”

That’s why Rebecca Gimenez, PhD, president and primary instructor at Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue, advises those who accept evacuated horses to have certain protections in place before they accept displaced animals