It’s Raining …Lizards?

🦎 When Florida Gets Chilly and Iguanas Start Falling: A Horror Story in Three Acts

Looks like a crime scene

On this, the coldest day of the year so far, it feels like the perfect moment to remind everyone that not everything in South Florida is oranges and sunshine. They get cold too — and when they do, it doesn’t just rain. It rains iguanas.

Every region has its own brand of weather drama.
New England gets nor’easters.
The Midwest gets tornadoes.
Florida?
Florida gets frozen iguanas falling out of trees like scaly Christmas ornaments.

Yes, this is real.
Yes, it happens every winter.
And yes, your skeptical friend is welcome to Google it — preferably while standing under a sturdy awning.

❄️ Why Iguanas Go Full “Fainting Goat”

Iguanas are cold‑blooded, which means when temperatures dip below about 45°F, their bodies hit the reptile version of “sleep mode.” They lose muscle control, freeze in place, and if they happen to be lounging in a tree — as iguanas love to do — gravity politely escorts them to the ground.

It’s not elegant.
>It’s not graceful.
>It’s not quiet.

But it is science.

🦎 Are They Dead?

Usually not. They’re just cold‑stunned, which is nature’s way of saying, “Hold on, rebooting…” Once the sun comes back out, they thaw, blink, and wander off like nothing happened — leaving bewildered humans clutching their coffee and questioning reality.

 

 

🗣️ Try Explaining This to a Doubter

This is where the fun begins.
You get to say things like:

  • “No, really, they fall.”
  • “No, they’re not dead.”
  • “Yes, Florida officials warn people about it.”
  • “No, I’m not confusing this with a Syfy movie.”

Honestly, the only thing more Florida than falling iguanas is someone insisting it doesn’t happen.

🐊 Meanwhile, in the Florida Horror Cinematic Universe…

Let’s be honest: Florida doesn’t need help being terrifying.
This is the same state that gave us:

  • Alligators in swimming pools
  • Snakes in toilets
  • And the pièce de rĂŠsistance: flying cockroaches (politely rebranded as “Palmetto bugs,” as if a cute name makes them less horrifying)

So yes — iguanas falling from trees during a cold snap fits right in. It’s practically a documentary waiting to happen.


🎬 In Closing 

If Stephen King ever runs out of ideas, he doesn’t need to look far — he just needs a lawn chair, a cold front, and a South Florida tree full of iguanas.

South Beach Miami

I knew South beach would be a big change from Orlando. I wanted to get to south Florida so I could visit the Everglades again and maybe, schedules permitting, visit some relatives. The only condo available was right on Ocean Drive, South Beach. Part of me liked the sound of that and part of me reminded myself that South Beach is where the “Beautiful People” go to vacation.

The other drawback is the parking. It’s a minimum of $47.00/day to park so I would be stuck either taking public transportation, cabs or walking. I felt that paying more for parking than I was for a rental was not the smartest way to spend my vacation bucks. I was hoping there’d be some tours to take me where I wanted to go that might pick up at the resort.

My first surprise was the resort itself. I am used to Diamond Properties having large lobbies and a feeling of spaciousness but “Crescent Resort on South Beach” was tiny. It’s in the heart of the Art Deco district so there are restrictions on what they can do to the property.

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As for the service, the staff had the same welcoming attitude of all the other Diamond Properties I’ve visited. I arrived 2 hours before check in. It was raining and I’m sure I looked more like a drowned rat than a “beautiful people” but they were very gracious and  let me check in right away. Then they told me I could get a 20% discount at the Purple Penguin next door as they did not have a restaurant.

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Considering the weather this was a perfect solution.

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I was still fighting the cold I caught back in October while on vacation in San Antonio & New Orleans so I welcomed this dreary day as a “down day” so I could relax, nap and do nothing once I got checked in. I was glad I had a couple of books with me.

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My room was small but I loved the accent wall in the bedroom. It’s the same  color as my living room at home.