Alligators are common in Florida; Rashawn says there are thousands of them on the animal sanctuary where she lives with her father. She, Chase, and Nicole must guard against the creatures three times, twice when they’re trying to escape from lake waters and once when a giant alligator blocks their path along a levee road. The gators symbolize the threats that emerge when a natural disaster strips away the normal protections of civilization. They challenge the three kids to be cautious, look out for each other, and find means of escape.

Chase’s go bag—which, as ordered by his father, contains three days’ worth of emergency provisions and tools—stays ever at his side to protect him while he’s on his storm-running adventure. It also serves as a kind of rabbit’s foot against trouble, offering him a feeling of security. Chase isn’t fearful—far from it—but he has lost his mother and sister and nearly lost his father to accidental fates, and anything that makes him feel secure against danger is welcome. His go bag, and his preparedness in general, create enough of a feeling of security that he can afford, from time to time, to think about his family members’ deaths without reeling with confusion or ducking away from the issue before he can resolve it in his mind and heart.